


What Was Or What May Be

by Jude_Rigby



Series: Beware Of Darkness [13]
Category: Castle (TV 2009)
Genre: Christmas, Crime, Drama, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:55:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 144,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29266839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jude_Rigby/pseuds/Jude_Rigby
Summary: During the holiday season Castle and Beckett are asked to consult with the Hamptons police after the murder of an acquaintance in the stables of a local horse farm. As they look into the case they uncover drugs, lovers and the fact it is sometimes impossible to escape your past. Thirteenth in the Beware of Darkness series.
Relationships: Kate Beckett & Richard Castle, Kate Beckett/Richard Castle
Series: Beware Of Darkness [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2006014
Kudos: 3





	1. Prologue- Broken His Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> The title of this story is a lyric from the song Flying Hour by George Harrison and Mich Ralphs, from the original rejected track listing of George's album Somewhere in England. The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Rocky Raccoon by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, from The Beatles' album The Beatles (aka The White Album).

Waving to the woman in the distance, the man waited for her to join him before he said, "I came like you asked; you said Betsy had her foal?"

"She did, I wanted you to check on it, see if it's alright," the woman replied with a smile. "A colt."

"Congratulations," the man said with a nod to her. "Would you want me to check on the others too?"

"Go ahead, I know that you like to make sure they're okay," the woman replied. "Which is so nice of you to do." As they walked to the first of two stables she asked, "Are you heading home to Argentina for the holidays?"

"No, there is not much reason to go home," the man said, his mouth a thin line for a moment at that. "All my family is here."

"Of course, well, if you'd like, I'm having a little luncheon the day before Christmas Eve, you're welcome to come," the woman told him.

"I will think about it," the man said as they came to the door.

Hearing her named called then, the woman looked over to see another man walking up to her. "Oh, my lawyer," she sighed. "I forgot we were going to go over some things today. "You'll be okay in there. And I named him Star."

"He has one?" the man said, smiling then. He watched the woman go after nodding, waiting until she was inside the house with the lawyer before he disappeared into the stable.

The scent of horses and hay hitting him was strong, and it felt like home. He had practically been raised in stables and had spent most of his life on a horse, so it was in fact where he felt most comfortable. He went down the left side of the aisle first at that point, checking on each horse in the stalls, seeing that they were okay. Finally he came to the second to last one, and saw the new colt nursing at its mother. " _Que guapo eres_ ," he murmured, staying still and keeping his voice as low as he could. " _Estrella_ … you will be a wonderful polo horse," he told it.

Staying there for quite a while the man eventually had to shake himself though it was hard; he loved seeing all the new ponies when they were born. He had trained a few of them as well so he was close to the horses in the area and it was evidenced in the way a few of them stuck their heads out of their stalls as he slowly walked down the aisle on the other side.

Murmuring to the ones that allowed him to, the man petted them and rubbed their foreheads before checking their mouths; as he always did; for an abscess or any other signs of trouble. Finding everyone in that building healthy he walked to the next building over, seeing that there were already some horses looking out at him. He murmured in Spanish to them as he proceeded to check on them, telling them about their new family member in the next stable over.

When he came to the last stall though, the horse there seemed a little jumpy and he had to speak to it before it calmed. He went inside and he looked around in the hay to make sure a snake or rat wasn't inside, spooking the thoroughbred stallion. When he found nothing he merely shrugged and said a few words to the horse before going to the last stall to make sure it had been cleaned after the mare that'd been pregnant had been taken to the other building.

As soon as he looked into the stall though, the man's eyes went wide and he said, "What are you… No, no, please, no!"

The shot was muffled but the horses responded immediately, rearing and kicking at their stalls. Where there should have been an echoing sound of a bullet was the much louder noise of neighing from each horse and the banging of hooves on the floors and walls as a figure stepped out of the stall. It went through the back entrance as another figure filled the sunlight shining through the front entry before they discovered the reason for the animals' turmoil.


	2. Which Way You Will Turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Run of the Mill by George Harrison, from his album All Things Must Pass.

Walking around the edge of the corral, Beckett smiled at the horse that was next to her and looked to Castle who was on her other side. "It looks like he's much better," she told him, her voice low and calm.

"Oh I agree," he said, watching the dark brown horse as it walked with them all the way around. "So is he set?"

"I'll have to see," Beckett replied, looking at him.

"Alright, outside?" Castle asked her then as he knew what that expression meant.

"Go," Beckett said, smiling as he quickly went to the gate and got out before leaning against it, watching her. She went over to him and mounted the horse; careful when she made sure her other foot was set before she nudged the Andalusian in the sides. She was gentle in that and as the horse began to walk she could easily feel her husband watching her.

Castle held his breath then as he remembered the first time she'd tried doing that very same thing with Thunder, unable to help forget it.

* * *

_"I'll be fine," Beckett was telling her husband in slight exasperation. "Just stay where you are," she told him. "And don't move, don't speak."_

_"Alright, but be careful," Castle told her as he was leaning against the fence._

_Going inside, Beckett clicked her tongue a few times to get the stallion's attention and once it turned to her she approached it, holding her hand out. She let it sniff at her until she was sure it had her scent and could remember her. Running her hand along its side, she saw that the owner of the stables had placed a Western saddle on its back. She groaned inwardly at the sight of it, hating those kinds, but knowing it was what the horse was used to. So taking a deep breath as quietly as possible she mounted the stallion and sat firmly in the saddle, waiting for some kind of reaction from the horse._

_Castle was tense as he watched her but tried not to be too obviously so the horse wouldn't react with his wife on it. But just as she spurred the stallion into a trot it suddenly stopped and reined backwards, throwing Beckett off its back to the ground. "Kate!" he called before he ran into the corral after her as she started sitting up._

_Having a hard time breathing, Beckett couldn't answer her husband's almost frantic question if she was okay, she could only wave off his concern. Finally she was able to speak telling him, "It's okay, I managed to start slipping off before he reared back, he was fighting with me I could tell."_

_"But you didn't hit your head?" Castle asked, starting to reach to touch it, but hesitating as he didn't want to hurt her._

_"No, I just knocked the wind out of myself," Beckett said with a sigh, standing and brushing herself off. "Charlie," she said to the owner who was standing outside of the corral with some of the stable hands. "Better get an English saddle for me next time. As for right now, I think I'm heading home with my husband," she told the man as Castle led her towards the gate and the stable owner slipped inside to get his horse where it was standing perfectly still, watching them calmly._

* * *

Frowning for a moment as it wasn't hard to remember how concerned he'd been for Beckett; seeing her on the ground as he had; Castle saw that she'd spurred Thunder into a trot, and held his breath. But after twice around the ring the stallion was galloping steadily and he relaxed a little.

Beckett knew what her husband was thinking; his worry; but she didn't stop, getting the horse to gallop, something she'd been able to get him to do without fighting her for almost two weeks by then though part of that had been broken up by hers and Castle's trip to Canada. When the Andalusian smoothly transitioned into the faster gait she smiled at her husband when she passed him. "He's ready," she said, though she couldn't help but feel a pang thinking that.

"He definitely is," a voice said behind Castle. "I can't believe what your wife was able to do with that horse," Charlie told him when he turned.

"I know, think we could take him out on the trail? See if he'll gallop with another horse?" Castle asked as they'd gone walking with another stallion he rode as Beckett was on Thunder.

"Oh sure, I just hope you'll be alright," Charlie replied.

"We will be," Beckett said with a smile. "Rick? The gate if you please," she said. Her smile grew a little wider when the stallion didn't rear back as Castle ran for it and opened it, a testament to her hard work since April on calming the horse's temper. "Can you tell someone to get him Jupiter?" she then asked the owner.

"Oh sure," Charlie replied. "I can get him myself."

"He's a beautiful horse," Castle told his wife seriously as he rubbed his hand over the horse's nose and forehead.

"I know, I'm going to miss working with him," Beckett replied. "He's been a challenge."

"Would you still want to ride him even though he's not a challenge?" Castle asked, not looking up at her.

"I believe I do," Beckett said. She then smirked at him as he glanced up at her, and told him, "And you too."

"Me?" Castle asked.

"Yes Rick, dear," Beckett said, emphasizing the last word as she knew he hated it as an endearment; as did she. "I knew you were speaking about yourself. But I never tried to calm you," she continued with a wider smile on her face. "I apparently did that without trying."

"You did but still, was enjoyable," Castle said. He turned back to see Charlie coming with another of the stable's Andalusians and then turned back to his wife telling her quickly, "And what about tonight."

Shooting him one of her looks, Beckett then smirked again as he blanched and turned to get the stallion from the stable owner. "Alright, we'll take a quick ride; we won't go over the whole trail."

"Have fun, let me know what happens when you get back," Charlie said as Castle mounted the chestnut coated stallion and then rode off with his wife.

Riding down the trail and soon coming into the woods, Beckett couldn't help but feel a little disappointed as she thought of having to stop working with the horse and riding it as well. It rode amazingly and she was enjoying herself greatly as they galloped to the creek, stopping to let their stallions drink.

"So?" Castle asked her as he stood with her in between their horses.

"He's gorgeous," Beckett told him.

"I thought so," Castle said. When she looked at him in slight confusion he told her, "I saw the look on your face as you were riding him."

"Was it that obvious?" Beckett asked though she was smiling. When he nodded she told him, "He'll be a great horse for his owner," as she patted Thunder's neck.

"He will," Castle said, not surprised then to see her disappointment, as he'd guessed that might happen. "Come on, we should start heading back."

Grabbing the reins, Beckett walked the stallion with Castle and Jupiter to the two trees and she ran her hand along the horse's side until they remounted. As they were riding again she tried to remember the feeling of the ride before they reached the stables. She tried to tell herself that she was being ridiculous but when they dismounted and she let Thunder go off with Charlie she couldn't help sighing. Realizing what she'd done, she turned to her husband quickly and said, "Want to practice?" hoping he hadn't heard her.

"Sure," Castle said. He followed her to get two thoroughbred horses, and as they were walking to the building where those horses were stabled he saw someone coming out of the office building. "Hey Antonio," he called.

"Hello Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett," the man said with an accent, smiling slightly at them. "How are you both?"

"Good, how come you're here?" Beckett asked since the man worked for another stable owner.

"Just came to see Gracie again, she is doing great," Antonio told them. "Will I see you next year?"

"Of course, I look forward to a rematch," Castle said. "But if we don't see you before then, have a great Christmas."

"You as well," Antonio replied. "I have to head to my workplace now, _hasta_."

"Bye," Beckett said, Castle echoing her. "Still want to practice?" she asked in amusement as she saw her husband was watching the polo instructor and player walking away from them.

"After seeing him here? Definitely," Castle said before he went with her to the stable. "I have to wonder how it is that we're able to beat his team so many times."

"I think it's because he's the strongest player the team has," Beckett said. "But they are getting better."

"That's true," Castle said immediately, thinking of that. "I have to wonder if they'll become the second semi-pro team in town."

"We'll need to see," Beckett said before they came to the stable hands inside the building. She told them what horses they wanted and once they had them grabbed some of the polo mallets that the stables offered and a ball before they headed out to the practice field. "Too bad we couldn't do this with Rebecca and David, not just him," she commented as she got on her horse after Castle had tossed the ball to the ground.

"I know, I was just thinking of that," he told her from atop his horse. "But at least she's still doing well. How far is she?"

"She'll be seven months," Beckett reminded him. "Okay, so just passing until we get to either end?"

"Yeah, but I'm wondering if we couldn't come back trying to get the ball away from each other?" Castle suggested.

Sighing, Beckett didn't answer as her husband always asked that when they practiced; just the two of them. She waited for him to go to the ball and took it after he passed it to her and then took it with her before passing it to him, starting a long passing session as the field they practiced in was long.

Going back and forth, Castle and Beckett found it hard to stop as they were having a lot of fun with it; even though they were alone. They finally did when they realized it was well past noon and hurried back to the stable where their horses were kept. They thanked the stable hands who took them before they rushed back to their car as they needed to have lunch before they picked up their daughters; Julia from school and Eliza at the Fosters as Rebecca was at home for the day and had offered to watch their youngest for them. While they switched their equestrian boots for their regular shoes they had a short discussion and decided to stick with their original plan of going to the café near the stables for lunch before they went home for a quick shower and then headed to the school from home.

"So we have everything," Castle was saying once he and Beckett had ordered at the café and were alone at their table.

"We do, except for our dog," Beckett said, knowing he was talking about Christmas gifts.

"When do you want to get him?" Castle asked.

"Not yet, it's still three weeks until Christmas," Beckett told him, looking at the _Hamptons Report_ she had brought in the car from home. "What time is your mom coming in?"

"She said her class tonight will likely run late, since it's the last one she's going to have for the year," Castle said, remembering what he'd talked with her about the night before over the phone. "And she could be here about eight at the latest."

"Meaning she's going to try and get here before we put Eliza to bed," Beckett said with a smile. "And if she's not here at seven thirty, she wants us to wait so she can see Eliza." When her husband tapped his nose she laughed slightly and said, "I have to wonder though why she came out here?"

"I'm not sure," Castle replied, setting aside the _Ledger_. "I get the feeling she just wants to be with the girls again. She enjoyed when she was here two weeks ago."

"You make a good point," Beckett said, nodding. "So we're heading back to our book tomorrow," she said. "But there's something I wanted to talk to you about; concerning that."

"Alright," Castle said after their waitress had set down their drinks.

"The next book," Beckett told him.

"Already? I know you like to stay ahead of the deadlines we have love, but I didn't know you wanted to that much now," Castle said.

"I'd like it to be that plot about Moor and Green going to that resort," Beckett said.

"Ah, I see," Castle said then. "Why didn't you ask me about it sooner?"

"I forgot to tell you honestly, I was just really glad that you were alive," Beckett explained.

"That would happen," Castle said. "Okay, so I agree, we could write that as our fifth book especially since this one we're already threatening to break them up with Moor's ex."

"The fans will not like it," Beckett said, smiling as she remembered the book signings she and Castle had done for their third book earlier in the fall. In that one their two characters had started a relationship and from a lot of the female fans there were comments about how glad they were that the two had finally ended up together.

"But maybe that undercover mission-" Castle started to say.

"Assignment," Beckett corrected him, rolling her eyes.

"That," Castle said, smiling at her when she shook her head. "Maybe we could have that as them trying to work a little on themselves as well."

"No, it wouldn't work," Beckett said quickly.

"They're going to be too into the assignment?" Castle asked her.

"Exactly," Beckett replied. "So what we should do is have them already having settled back into their relationship; we need to put some distance between this book and the fifth."

"Six months?" Castle asked. He could tell by the look on his wife's face that it wasn't a good number, so he quickly said, "What about four?"

"Better, half a year seems like way too long," Beckett said. She was surprised when he suddenly leaned over and asked, "What're you thinking?" making herself sound as hesitant as possible.

"Are they going to be together at this place?" Castle asked, looking into her eyes intently.

"Yes, sit back, our food is here," Beckett said, shaking her head as the waitress that had been approaching them had stopped when she saw the way Castle was.

Once they had started to eat, he said, "We'll have to do more research."

"I'm just surprised our publisher wasn't having a fit with the last chapter we sent in to him," Beckett replied, looking at him.

"No, he said the same thing you did, it's nice to see them recovering after their huge fight," Castle said. "But I didn't really mention that wasn't the last one they'll have."

"Do you want to put another scene at the end?" Beckett asked.

"I'd like to," Castle said. "But we need to see how the end turns out with those two… do we want them going all out like this past scene or do we need to have them go a little slower as they're getting back into trusting one another again?"

"Probably the latter," both he and Beckett said at the same time as they shared a look.

"Okay, so I'm actually eager to start writing that plot," Beckett said as they went back to eating. "I'm wondering if we might make the place a manor."

"Like the Adare Manor?" Castle asked her.

"Kind of, they're going to be here in New York, so we need to make it… wait, there's a mansion I've always loved and it would be a nice backdrop. Kind of imposing looking as well," Beckett said quickly.

Smiling as he loved when his wife was that enthusiastic about their writing, Castle asked, "Woolworth?"

"No, Lyndhurst," Beckett corrected him.

"Much better," Castle said, immediately knowing what she was talking about. "That would be a great setting for murder; I kind of imagine the game Clue when I see that place. Okay so they'll go to a place like that, we should think of a great name for that one when the time comes."

"Like a tongue in cheek name? Like…" Beckett began, thinking. "Belladonna Park?"

"Oh, I like that," Castle said immediately. "It's got a gothic sort of twist; should we explain the name?"

"We'll see," Beckett said with a brief laugh at his enthusiasm; which she did love to see when she was contributing to their writing, as she hadn't quite gotten to the point where she was fully comfortable with her thought process as a writer. "But when we get home, we should get all this written down."

"Got it and since that place is a park, it'll have to be outside the city," Castle pointed out to her.

"That's fine, the owner could go to the mayor, or something like that, we'll figure it out later," Beckett told him.

Nodding, Castle let her change the subject and they spent the rest of their meal talking about the last of the Christmas decorating they had to do to their house before it was ready. While they were leaving the café he heard the sound of sirens piercing the air and he looked up with his wife to see a police cruiser heading off down the road in front of the café. "Is that Brad?" he said, more to himself.

"It is," Beckett said, seeing the chief inside very briefly before the car was down the road.

"Hmm, think we should follow?" Castle asked her.

"No, we need to go and shower, get Eliza and then get Julia and Mari," Beckett said. "If he needs our help, he'll contact us."

"Okay, but I'm still going to wonder what happened," Castle said.

"As if I expected you not to," Beckett teased him as they walked the rest of the way to the car. She cupped his cheek after he'd opened the passenger door for her, kissing him gently on the lips. "Too bad," she said then as she sat down in the passenger seat.

"T-too bad what?" Castle asked, having to shake himself to realize what she'd said.

"Too bad we don't have more time," Beckett teased him. She took his breathed out, "Vixen," easily as he shut the door, and she bit her lower lip as she looked into the side mirror. Since Canada, they'd had a hard time not taking advantage of their nights; since they were essentially alone; and in the past few days they'd been trying to sleep instead of make love in some manner. But it was very stressful for them to do that and she knew he was feeling tense and a little irritable when thinking about it. Breathing out as she got an idea, she watched her husband get into the car and she reached over, squeezing his hand as he started to leave the parking lot, heading for home.

* * *

"I got everything we were talking about written down," Castle told his wife as she came into their office. "And I really can't wait to write this novel."

"After we finish what we're on right now," Beckett said, wrapping her arms around his neck as he straightened up after looking at his laptop. She kissed him gently, not surprised when he pressed his hands to the small of her back and she had to fight with him a little in their kiss as he was slightly aggressive. She didn't mind and was a bit disappointed when they parted saying, "You realize we have to go right?" as he'd started to lean his head down to her again.

Letting out a groan of complete frustration Castle let his wife go but after they'd bundled up to go back out into the chill December afternoon he took her hand before she could put on her right hand glove last, kissing the back of it.

"You're a romantic Rick," Beckett teased him as she put on the glove when he'd let her go.

"And that's why you love me," Castle told her simply.

"One of a number of reasons," Beckett said with a smile. She went out first into the front and took his hand before they went over to the Fosters, seeing Eliza come running out the door. "Oof," she said playfully as the little girl grabbed her around the waist as tightly as she could. "Thank you Rebecca," she called to their friend. "We'll be back with Mari."

"Thanks and she was great while you were gone," the woman called back. "She missed you though."

"I want to go," Eliza said as Beckett picked her up to share a kiss with her.

"Well, when it gets warmer we'll have to take you and Julia to the stables on the weekends," Castle was saying to her as he took her from his wife. He shared a kiss with her then before they set out for the school, surprised when the little girl squirmed in his hold until he gave her to her mother.

"Was it fun?" Eliza asked, holding onto the edge of her mother's scarf since she couldn't reach her aquamarine pendant.

"A lot," Beckett said, smiling at Castle since the girls always talked to her first when they'd gone riding their horses alone.

"What did you get up to?" Castle then asked.

"We did art and counting with the fishies," Eliza said. She suddenly gasped and said, "My toys!"

"It's okay," Beckett assured her. "We have to go back to take Mari remember, we'll get your bag then."

"Kay," Eliza said, looking relieved. She then smiled and said, "And I saw the tree, a lot."

"Oh yeah? You like their ornaments better than ours?" Castle asked.

"No," Eliza said. She then frowned and said, "Our-"

"We'll start hanging up ornaments tonight," Castle said, knowing what she was going to ask. "We would have done it yesterday but someone was a little tired," he said to the toddler teasingly, as she'd been sick Saturday, so Sunday had passed quietly with her recuperating.

"I am better," Eliza said reassuringly with a little smile on her face.

"Are you warm?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah," the toddler said, nodding her head a little furiously.

By then they'd reached the school and with five minutes left to spare Castle, Beckett and Eliza slipped into the school's dance room and watched as Julia was practicing the Samba with her partner Peter; who went to the same school.

"Alright class, you've done a fantastic job today. But tomorrow we're going to change things and go back to Ballroom with the Viennese Waltz," the dance teacher said. She smiled when some of the boys groaned in disappointment at that and she told them, "If you want to be a Ballroom dancer you need to know that at least. Go ahead home and keep warm, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hi Mommy, Daddy, Lizzy," Julia said happily as she went over to her parents and little sister who were sitting on the steps on the side of the room with her best friend. "Did you see anything?" she asked, not having seen when they'd come in.

"We saw you learned how to control your hips," Castle commented, looking at Beckett.

"Get changed and then we'll go home," Beckett said after pushing her husband over.

Going up the bottom step to him, Julia hugged him around the neck saying, "It's just for dancing, Daddy." She kissed his cheek and then headed with the other girls and boys to the changing rooms in the back.

"What?" Castle asked as Mari took Eliza onto the dance floor. "You don't expect me to have something to say about her doing that with her hips?"

"But listen to what she said love, it's just for dancing," Beckett said. "It's her passion, not boys."

Sighing, Castle stood and took his wife's hand to help her do the same before he said, "You're right, I just can't help being protective of her."

Smiling at that, Beckett kissed his cheek and said, "You're a good father, just watch you don't go too far with that."

"Which is why I'm glad I have you," Castle told her before she shook her head in mock exasperation; still smiling.

After Julia had come back out dressed in her school uniform she let her mother help with her scarf before they set out for home, she, Mari and Eliza walking ahead of the two. She talked to her best friend about their homework and then asked her little sister what she'd done at Mari's home.

"Hello honey," Rebecca said when they'd come to the Fosters and she opened to door. She hugged her daughter tightly, smiling when she placed her hand on her stomach and said, "Likely the baby is asleep." She then turned to Castle and Beckett, handing them the bag they'd brought over with Eliza. "I slipped in the picture she made earlier," she told them.

"Thank you," the toddler said seriously.

"It was my pleasure," Rebecca said with another smile. "Have fun now with your family."

"I will," Eliza said before her mother was giving Rebecca a hug.

"Take care of yourself, and we'll get together… maybe this weekend?" Beckett asked.

"I'll see what David has planned," Rebecca said. "There might be a fundraiser."

"Hopefully he'll excuse you from that," Beckett said.

"I'll make sure he does," Rebecca replied. She waved to the family as they left and then went inside with her daughter, closing the door behind them.

"Alright sweetie," Beckett was saying to Julia once they were in the house and had all their outer layers off. "You know what you need to do."

"I don't have a lot of homework," Julia quickly told her mother as they went to the kitchen, her backpack in her hand.

"Still, better you get it done," Castle said as he started to get together a snack for the girls.

"Alright, I have math and social studies to do," Julia said, getting her little date book out and studying what she'd written for her homework there.

"And that's it?" Beckett asked in surprise. "Science?"

"We did that in class today," Julia explained. "I have to read about the city during the war and then in math I have fractions to do."

"What do you want to do?" Castle asked Eliza.

When the toddler shrugged, Beckett smiled and said, "Want to make something with buttons?" She laughed when Eliza's eyes instantly brightened hearing that and she went upstairs as Castle stayed with their daughters.

"What are we eating Daddy?" Eliza asked as Castle set down a plate in between them at the kitchen table.

"Just some celery," Castle said. "Made some ants on a log actually, see?"

"Cute!" Eliza said, looking at her celery stalk with the raisins on peanut butter. She was about to take a bite when she paused and asked, "Are they ants?"

"They're just raisins sweetie," Beckett assured her, coming back. "Are you starting?"

"I can sit for a little with you three," Castle said, checking his watch. He went to the kitchen and got her some water before getting another glass for himself. Sitting on the other side of Eliza he then helped her with her button art as Julia began to read aloud her social studies assignment with her mother's help.

Listening to her sister, Eliza kept looking over at the book until suddenly Julia stopped reading and she let out a short cry when she was picked up.

"I think you want to see the pictures in here," Julia told her in amusement, since she hadn't been able to miss the way her little sister kept glancing over since they were sitting right next to each other.

"Thank you," Eliza said. "I will finish Daddy," she then told Castle as she was on her mother's lap.

"Don't worry, I'm interested in hearing about this too," he assured her. "Keep reading."

Julia did so, with her parents helping her pronounce words she didn't know and she was soon finished with the assignment. "Are you going to help me with my math?" she then said.

Her eyes wide as her sister had been looking at her as she'd said that, Eliza looked at her mother first saying, "Yes?"

"She's teasing you," Beckett said, standing up then as picked up the toddler. She kissed her cheek and set her back in her chair telling her, "I'll help you with your art now."

"Okay, that means I'm back to the kitchen," Castle said, standing. He was face to face with his wife and he said, "Sure I couldn't continue playing with the buttons?"

"Go," Beckett teased him. She smiled when he leaned down and they shared a very chaste, swift kiss before he went to the kitchen and she sat down where he'd been. "So tell me what you're making here sweetie," she then said to Eliza as she looked at her picture with multi-colored buttons all over it.

Julia, half listening as she was doing her fractions equations, frowned at one problem and erased her answer before she tried another one. "Mommy, Daddy," she said then before going to the next one. When they'd answered she asked, "Are you going to check on this for me?"

"Like we always do," Castle said, putting together a large stew for them as it was starting to lightly snow outside and was growing colder. "Why, are you having some problems today sweetheart?"

"Yeah, fractions aren't that easy for me," Julia sighed deeply.

"Here," Castle said after he and Beckett had exchanged a look at what their daughter had said. He had a carrot and a knife which he both handed to his wife saying, "If it was after dinner we could have used a cookie, but this'll have to do."

"Are you going to use this?" Beckett asked him.

"No, we can have her take it to school to give to the rabbit they have in class," Castle told her.

"Good idea," Julia said eagerly. "Chester loves carrots, but what are we using it for?"

"Let me see your problem," Beckett said, standing up to lean over. She saw the equation and said, "So you have two eighths plus five eighths. So we'll make this whole carrot…"

"Eight eighths, which is one," Julia said. "But when I add them do I need to add the bottoms too? That I don't understand."

"Well when you split up that eight eighths," Beckett was saying as she cut up the carrot into eight pieces. "These all equal one eighth right?"

"Right," Julia said, smiling as Eliza was trying to grab a piece of carrot.

"So what's two and five together?" Beckett asked, giving her the pieces.

"Seven," Julia said slowly.

"Does the carrot itself get any bigger? Do you get more carrots that are eight eighths?" Castle called from the kitchen, watching while he was cooking.

"Oh! No it doesn't, so the bottoms stay the same," Julia said. "I see now. So it's seven eighths."

"Hopefully that helps," Beckett told her with a smile. "And hopefully Chester will enjoy the carrot," she said as she got up to get a plastic bag. After getting the vegetable into the fridge she joined the girls again and they worked in relative silence until she noticed Eliza was looking out the window. "What's wrong sweetie?" she asked, smoothing some of her hair away from her forehead.

"Where is Gram?" the toddler asked.

"She's about halfway through her class by now," Castle said, looking at his watch. "Yeah, she'll be here though."

"I hope we get to see her," Julia said with a sigh as she finished her last equation.

"Let me see," Beckett said, holding her hand out for Julia's paper. She watched as the little girl walked over to her and kissed her cheek before she checked the problems for a moment. "Okay, you got them all right," she told her. "Pack up and then you can set the table," she told her.

"Love," Castle said then, walking over to the table as the stew was simmering.

"Yeah?" Beckett asked as she was sweeping some of the buttons off the table into her hand.

"You want to try and write tonight?" Castle asked as he took Eliza out of her high chair.

"We'll see," Beckett said, surprised he'd suggested that. "Do you?"

"Kind of," Castle confessed. "Sorry, I was just thinking of our fifth book, couldn't help feel eager to get started on it already."

"You have a fifth book now?" Julia asked as she came back from putting her backpack on the bench by the door.

"Not yet, we just have an idea of what we want it to be about," Beckett said.

"Did you decide?" Julia then asked as she felt Eliza take her hand.

"We'll talk about that at dinner," Castle said as Beckett left, taking the girls with her to wash up. He thought for a moment and then heard his phone shake in a text which made him hurry over to it as he was sure it was his daughter. But seeing it was his mother he frowned until he had read her message.

"Alexis?" Beckett asked as she walked up to him.

"No, my mom, she's taking a break right now, she's trying to hurry the class," Castle said. He texted her back; asking about her dinner plans; before he set his phone aside and he looked at his wife asking, "What do we tell her?"

"What we figured we'd do," Beckett replied with a shrug. "Here sweetie," she then said as she heard their girls returning. She helped Julia with setting the table, but only in getting the bowls in a stack on the table for her. She watched with a smile as Eliza followed her sister around as she did that and once the table was ready and the food as well she picked up the toddler, kissing her cheek before putting her in her high chair.

"So, now can you say," Julia said earnestly as she waited for Castle to ladle out stew for them all.

"We think we'll do a kids' book, but-" he started to say.

"We need to find the right subject for it and until we can think of something, we'll wait," Beckett finished. "But we'll tell you two the second we start planning something."

"Can I read?" Eliza asked as her mother stirred the stew in her little bowl.

"You can, we'd love it if you two would," Castle said. "But right now why don't you tell them about our morning Kate?"

Smiling at his changing the subject so obviously, Beckett said, "So you two know we went riding."

"Yes, say what happened, did you ride Thunder?" Julia asked, her voice coming out in a rush.

"I did and managed to ride him on the trail," Beckett said, not surprised when Julia squeaked slightly in her joy hearing that. "And he'll be a good horse to whoever buys him."

"Oh, I wish I could have ridden him," the little girl sighed.

"You'd have to be a great rider to be able to handle him," Castle said.

"Which is Mommy?" Julia asked. When her father nodded she smiled and looked over at Beckett, seeing she was shaking her head. "So did you play after you got back?"

"We did, just a little bit of practicing," Beckett replied. "But it was still fun."

"It looks like it," Julia said.

"You play what Daddy plays?" Eliza asked slowly.

"We did," Castle said. "You know, I'm wondering if you two want to play polo."

"I do," Julia said quickly. "Well," she then said thoughtfully. "I want to try it first. I dunno if I'll like it that much." She then looked at her father and asked anxiously, "You, you wouldn't be mad if I did that?"

"No, do what you want to do," Castle said. "Why would you ask that?"

"Billy said his daddy made him play lacrosse, but he didn't like it," Julia explained. "And after he told his mommy he hated it she let him stop."

"Was his father mad?" Beckett asked.

"Not after his mommy talked to him," Julia explained.

"Don't worry, I won't do that to you two," Castle said, looking at Eliza who was on the other side of Beckett. "Do you want to play?" He laughed with his wife and their oldest as the toddler nodded rapidly.

"So one of them will maybe," Beckett said in amusement as she made her stop before she had her go back to her bowl of stew.

When they had finished eating, Julia helped her father clear the table, smiling at her little sister as Eliza was leaning back against a cabinet, watching them walking around. "What are we gonna do now?" she asked their parents, knowing she wanted her to ask.

"We can watch something tonight after we decorate the tree," Beckett said with a smile as Castle looked at her.

"Can we watch _Help!_ " Julia asked.

"Depends on Eliza," Castle said.

"Yeah," the toddler said. She then giggled as her father picked her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck before kissing his cheek. "Do we go now?"

"I was thinking love," Castle said as she was starting to rinse off a bowl. "Unless you want me to stay and help, I can give these two a bath."

"With Jules?" Eliza asked.

"Go ahead," Beckett said. "It won't take me too long here."

"Thank you Mommy," Julia said as she usually helped with whoever was washing the dishes.

Beckett watched them go and she smiled to herself as she turned back to the dishes, listening to the three of them all talking as they went.

* * *

"Daddy, can I hold?" Eliza was asking her father as he set down a box on the coffee table.

"You can, but you need to be very, very careful," Castle said as he took out an ornament that was a penguin on a snowboard. "Hold it here and not on the hook."

"Thank you," Eliza said. She then pursed her lips and asked, "Can I take?"

"Come here Lizzy," Julia said, smiling at her sister. "Hang it up for us."

Carefully, Eliza walked around the table and to her mother, who directed her to hang it on a branch that she could reach. She was a little unsure, but as her big sister showed her how to set the hook down on the branch she soon had the ornament in place and smiled widely at the sight of it hanging on the tree. "Mommy, Daddy, look!" she cried jumping and pointing at it.

"Great job," Castle said, coming over with another ornament. He smiled at his wife as Eliza tugged on Julia's hand to make her help getting another ornament. As she glanced at him over her shoulder he couldn't help himself, stepping over to her and cupping her cheek before he kissed her passionately on the lips.

Eliza started to walk back over to the tree when she saw the two and she turned around, almost giggling before Julia put her finger to her lips. She waited a little impatiently until she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Now can I go?" she asked her mother.

"Go ahead," Beckett said with a slight smile as she could hear the impatience in Eliza's tone. She watched to make sure that the toddler got to Castle okay and grabbed another ornament as they emptied their last box.

"I can't wait until Alexis comes and it's finished," Julia said as they stood looking at the tree.

"Me too," Castle said. "But what we have now looks pretty nice."

Watching as Eliza walked around the tree, Beckett smiled seeing she was trying to look at every ornament and Julia soon joined her, holding her hand as they went around twice. "So what do you two think?" she asked as the two girls ran to her.

"Perfect," Julia said.

"Perf… perfy!" Eliza said.

"Perfect," Castle said, letting go of his wife and kneeling in front of their youngest. "Say per."

"Per," Eliza said, giggling as her father would do the same thing with her when she couldn't pronounce a word.

"Now fect," Castle said.

"Feh," Eliza said.

"I think that's as much as you're going to get sweetheart," Beckett said with a smile as he picked the toddler up, kissing her cheek.

"Still pretty good," Castle said, kissing her temple and then Eliza's. "What're you thinking sweetheart?" he asked Julia, who had turned her attention to the tree.

"When can we put presents under?" the little girl asked.

"Not yet," Beckett replied as she looked at Castle who set Eliza down before he took her hand. She glanced at her watch and smiled before saying, "I think we need to start your movie now or else we won't have time to finish it tonight."

About to turn back to the player as Beckett got Eliza and Julia settled on the couch, Castle was going to play the movie since it was ready. But before he could the doorbell went off and he looked at his wife before she told their daughters to stay there and wait.

"Did your mom say she'd left?" Beckett asked him as they went to the front door.

"No," Castle said, checking his phone. "Wait, she texted me about an hour and twenty minutes ago; this isn't her. But she'll be here pretty soon I'm sure." He checked who was on the other side before opening the door and saying, "Hey Brad, how come you're here?"

"Come inside," Beckett said, looking at her husband for not offering that first thing as the night was cold.

"Thanks and I needed to talk to the two of you," the chief of police said as he came inside. "Is there someone we could go where your girls wouldn't hear us?" he said, smiling at the two down the hall.

"Give me a second," Beckett said as she went ahead of them down to Julia and Eliza. "Watch the movie while we talk to Brad okay?"

"Okay, but are you in trouble?" Julia asked as Beckett started the movie.

"No, no, he just wants to talk," she said quickly, kissing them both before the movie began. She then left them to watch and went to the office where Castle was with Brad. "Okay, so what is it? A case? You're in your street clothes," she asked as she closed the door.

"It is," Brad replied with a nod. "We received a call at about twelve twenty this afternoon-"

"We saw you," Castle interrupted him. "Heading to wherever the murder was by the East Beach Café."

"Yeah that was me, we got reports of a body found in one of the stables of the Harper Ranch," Brad said.

"Was it Susannah?" Castle asked in shock; as he knew the owner of the stables.

"No, it was her employee and trainer-" Brad began to say.

"Antonio?" Beckett said, sounding shocked then herself. When the chief nodded she looked at Castle and said, "We just saw him today."

"This morning at about… ten? I think," Castle said.

"Yeah, Susannah said he'd come in a little after ten fifteen," Brad replied. "So he must have gone to her place right after. Why was he at the stables you go to?"

"He came to see a filly that he'd helped birth about a month ago," Beckett said.

"And that's why he was at the Harper Ranch though he has Mondays off," Brad told them. "A colt was born there last night; he was checking on it."

"Hmm, where was the killer?" Beckett asked then.

"Yeah, I'm wondering about that one myself," Castle said, not surprised he and his wife had the same idea hearing that.

"Okay, I have copies of the crime scene photos with me," Brad said, standing up and going to the desk, Castle and Beckett following him. "From what we know, the killer was hiding in this last stall in the other building; not the one where the colt was."

"Why was he in the other building? Was he checking the horses?" Beckett asked.

"Was that his habit?" Castle then quickly added.

Smiling as he had expected the two to ask all of that, Brad said, "He did do that, Susannah said he always made sure they were okay before he would leave."

"Then why wasn't there a horse in that stall?" Castle asked.

"According to Susannah it was where they pregnant mare was and the one they switched her stall with they sold to a breeder two towns over," Brad replied. "About six months ago and they were going to put the new colt in there once it was old enough."

"Okay, so he was drawn to the last stall," Beckett said. "But he would know about that one being empty, so it's likely the horse in the stall next to it got nervous and got his attention."

"That's what we were thinking," Brad said with a nod.

"And the horses didn't know whoever your killer was," Castle said. "It wouldn't be acting nervous with someone it had been around."

"Are there any security cameras in the stables?" Beckett asked.

"No," Brad said, shaking his head. "They-"

A knock on the door interrupted him and when Julia called out, "It's me Mommy," Castle and Beckett looked at each other.

"I'll put these away for now," Brad said quickly as he gathered the crime scene photos.

"I'll go," Castle told her before he stepped out, closing the door behind him. "Hey you two, what's wrong?" he asked seeing it was both of them.

"Eliza's thirsty," Julia told him. "Sorry, but I am too."

"Don't worry, come here," Castle said, taking their hands and leading them to the kitchen. He got them both some milk and told them, "Your gram should be here pretty soon," as he led them to the family room. "So if she comes then come and get me Julia, okay?"

"I will, you're not in trouble?" the little girl asked.

"Not at all, we're just talking," Castle assured her.

"Are you going to have to work again?" Julia asked.

"Do you not want us to?" Castle said, studying them both as Eliza understood a little what happened when Brad came to the house without his wife.

"No that's okay but are you gonna work on Christmas too?" Julia asked as her little sister looked at her to answer that.

"No, this case will be the last one this year if we take it," Castle assured them. "We'll come out as soon as we can and finish the movie with you two," he said as he picked Eliza up to set her on the couch with her sister. Making sure they both had their milk; he kissed both his daughters before playing the movie and hurrying back to the office.

"How's Lily doing?" Beckett asked when Castle had left them.

"She's good, she wants me home tonight," Brad said with a smile. "And she told me to ask you how Rebecca is."

"Tell her she's doing fine," Beckett replied. "And tell her I'll call her at some point," she said quickly, since Lily Davis was an old friend from grade and middle school; when she'd been Lily Donnelly. "Are you having trouble with this one?" she then asked.

"You know I never really come out here to see you two unless I am having problems," Brad said with a sigh. "But I'll explain more once Rick comes back."

"Okay, they just wanted something to drink," Castle said as he came back in.

"So, there's no security camera in the stable or the other one either," Brad continued. "Susannah said it was never necessary. But the killer somehow knew that Antonio was going to the stables."

"They could have followed them," Castle pointed out.

"We think that might be the case as we've talked to all his friends," Brad said. "And actually that's something I wanted to talk to you about Rick. You competed against him sometimes didn't you?"

"I didn't really know him that well," Castle said.

"What have you heard about him from others?" Brad asked.

"He's from Argentina, he's amazing with horses and he's a great polo player," Castle said. "And he doesn't have any family here either except for a brother…? A cousin? I can't remember which it is."

"That's about what we heard," Brad replied.

"You've heard more," Beckett said simply, looking at him closely.

"We have, but anyways," Brad told them. "We came up against a wall talking with everyone."

"And that's when you came to us," Beckett said.

"Yes, we need your help on the case and also, Susannah asked if you two would help," Brad told them.

Castle and Beckett looked at each other and were going to ask for some time to discuss that when there was a knock on the door. "That'll be my mother," he told him. "We're coming Julia," he then called as he and Beckett went to the door. "Brad, if you want to come with us…" he began.

"No, I'll stay here and say hello to Martha before I leave," the chief told him. "Think about the case."

"We will," Beckett promised before she was the first to step out into the hall. She and Castle rushed the rest of the way to the door and she was the first to open it. "Sorry Martha, we were talking with someone," she said as she stepped aside to let her mother in law inside.

"That's alright, Julia was calling that to me on the other side," Martha said with a smile. "Hello you two, how are you both?" she asked, hugging Beckett first.

"We're well, your drive was alright?" she said.

"The snow stopped," Martha said. "And that helped me greatly."

"I'm sure it did," Castle said as he paused in getting his mother's suitcases to hug her. He said in amusement, "You have enough here for a month?"

"Oh, probably not," Martha said. "So where are my granddaughters?" she asked.

"Here!" Julia said, running into the entry with her little sister. "I'm so glad you're here Gram!" she said as she and Eliza hugged her together.

"So am I," Martha replied. "Now, what are we doing tonight?"

"We're watching a movie and Mommy and Daddy are talking to Brad," Julia said.

"Oh really?" Martha said, glancing at her son and daughter in law.

"Why don't you two say hi to Brad," Beckett said to the girls. "I'm sure he won't mind hearing that from you."

"And then you both can come with me to my room while I unpack, we'll talk ourselves," Martha said. When her granddaughters looked eager at that and then ran down the hall she smiled before turning to face Castle. "Well, what did you need to talk to me about?"

Not surprised that Martha had guessed, Beckett quickly said, "He needs our help on a case of course. But that means we might not be here that much until it's solved."

"And I came at the right time," Martha replied. "I've been looking forward greatly to seeing my granddaughters and I was hoping to spend some grandmother-granddaughter time with Eliza."

"You'll have a chance to do that with Julia too," Castle pointed out to her.

"And Julia too," Martha echoed. "When she's not at school. Are they alright with you two working?"

"I talked to them," Castle said to his wife as she was looking to him questioningly. "They're fine with it but I told them it was our last case until next year."

"And it will be," Beckett said. She heard footsteps and looked down the hall to see the girls were walking towards them. "Okay, so we'll tell him we're joining him but as we always do we'll try our best to be here for dinner if we can't pick Julia up from school."

"Tell Brad I'll be right down," Castle said as he picked up his mother's two suitcases. He followed her and the girls up to her room, smiling as Julia was telling her about school that day and her dance class as well. "Did you eat Mother?" he asked her as he set one of the cases on the bed.

"No, I'm hoping you might have something for me?" Martha asked.

"We have food," Eliza said quickly.

"We do, I'll get it for you once Brad is on his way home," Castle told her.

"Go, tell him and send him home to his wife and kids," Martha replied, waving her hand to shoo him out of the room. Once he was gone she turned to the girls and said, "Are you both excited for Christmas?"

"Yes!" Julia said immediately as Eliza was nodding. "And we got the tree ready."

"Alexis has to finish," the toddler said. "It is pretty and…"

"Perfect," Julia finished for her, smiling with her grandmother at Eliza.

"I can't wait to see it, but of course I need to get all of my clothes put away," Martha told her granddaughters. "I'll have to thank your parents," she said as she hung up a blouse in the closet. "For letting me come before Christmas…" she continued as she turned. She paused and said, "What are you two doing?" in a teasing tone of voice as they were peering into her suitcase.

"No presents?" Eliza said with a pout.

Unable to help leaning over to share a kiss with her youngest granddaughter, Martha then said, "I do, but I have them hidden for Christmas day; just three weeks now."

"I know, I saw," Julia said quickly. "I have a calendar."

"So the three of us might be on our own quite a bit with your parents working," Martha continued after she'd gotten more into the closet and dressers. "We'll have to think of things to do together."

"Play games," Eliza said.

"And read, and do art," Julia said. "And maybe you will take us to see the lights too?"

"Oh no, your parents need to decide when we'll go to see the lights," Martha replied. "And I think they might want to wait until your sister is here."

"Have you seen 'lexis?" Julia asked.

Cupping Eliza's cheek as she looked interested hearing her name, Martha said, "I did this morning, she needs to finish an essay tonight so we'll talk to her tomorrow okay?"

"When does she come here?" Julia asked.

"Soon, don't worry," Martha replied distractedly for a moment. "Now, you two need to tell me any other news today."

"Mommy and Daddy went riding today," Julia said. "And Mommy was able to ride Thunder; I think she calmed him down all the way. But she's sad."

"Oh?" Martha asked, turning to them from the closet.

"Mommy likes the horsie lots," Eliza said.

"Well, she'll still ride other horses," Martha said, surprised the toddler had guessed that. "Have you been riding any more kiddo?"

"No, the lessons won't come back until it's spring," Julia said. She then perked up and said, "But Mommy told me she'll take me riding still. And Daddy too."

"And you just gave me an idea," Martha said. When her granddaughters looked at her questioningly she told them, "One afternoon I'll take you two out to the stables and we'll see the horses if your parents say it's alright."

"That's a good idea," Julia said quickly with a smile. "I hope they say it is."

"We'll find out," Martha said. She felt Eliza's hand take hers and said, "Do you want to go back to your movie?"

"No, Daddy says a big present," Eliza said.

"For you?" Martha asked.

"No, Mommy," the toddler replied.

"I expected that," Martha said with a smile. "Let's hope she'll like it." She hung up the last of her blouses and then turned to Julia and Eliza. "Hold on," she said, laughing slightly as they looked eager. She got her empty cases into the closet and picked up Eliza before Julia took her hand and they left her room.

"So we don't really have much," Brad said as soon as the door closed behind Castle. "But I thought about how your minds work. I hate to ask this during the Christmas season but we're stuck as I mentioned."

"We have a condition," Beckett said first.

"A couple I think," Castle said, looking at his wife questioningly before she nodded.

"If it's about leaving to pick up your daughter or to come home before I do, you know I can agree to that readily," Brad told them easily.

"Alright, the second condition is this'll be our last case we'll help you with until next year," Beckett said.

"After the kids are back in school?" Brad asked. When the two nodded he told them, "I pretty much expected that but it's understandable, I wish I could do the same."

"You don't have Christmas at least off?" Castle asked his friend.

"That and the day after," Brad told them. "For Lily's party remember."

"We do, so will you be able to keep to that?" Beckett asked, bringing him back to the point.

"I will, now, what do you say?" Brad asked them.

Castle and Beckett exchanged a glance and then said at the same time, "We'll join the investigation."


	3. Kissed By Snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Tragedy written by Gerald H. Nelson and Fred B. Burch, the version I have taken from is from the recording by Paul McCartney and Wings an unreleased version from their Red Rose Speedway album.

"Great seeing you again Martha," Brad was saying in the entry where he'd been about to leave before Castle's mother had come down the stairs with the girls. "We'll see you guys the day after Christmas."

"Bye," Castle called as the chief left.

"You go work?" Eliza asked then.

"Do you not want us to?" Beckett asked the toddler specifically.

Squirming for a moment as everyone was looking at her, Eliza finally said, "Jules?"

"It's okay," the little girl said quickly. "We'll miss you though."

"And a good thing too," Martha said as they walked together to the kitchen. "I can't imagine what you two would be like if you didn't."

"What?" Eliza asked.

"What you'd be like?" Martha asked as the toddler stopped right in front of her. She picked her up and carried her to the kitchen saying, "I don't know, I can't even consider it."

"Oh," Eliza said. She glanced out the windows and then smiled, tapping her grandmother's shoulder. "Look at the snow," she said happily.

"I think it's going to be doing that on and off," Beckett told her gently as she leaned against the island while Castle got the leftovers from dinner out.

"Can we play now?" Eliza was asking.

"I think you mean tomorrow," Castle corrected her.

"Yeah," Eliza said with a wide smile.

"You can," Beckett said, as everyone was looking to her then. "But as long as it's not freezing."

"Then you two wouldn't be going out to work if that's the case," Martha said. "Speaking of that, have you two gotten back to your book?"

"We have, but we'll have to put a pause on writing," Castle said, glancing at his wife.

"We might write tonight though," Beckett said, meeting his gaze.

"Now can we finish the movie?" Julia asked eagerly.

"We can, come on," Castle said after he'd heated up his mother's bowl. He followed the others to the family room, sharking a smile with Beckett as their daughters seemed to have forgotten the movie in their eagerness to show their grandmother the Christmas tree on the way to the family room.

"I see, that's the first ornament you put on kiddo?" Martha asked, seeing the snowboarding penguin Eliza was pointing out.

"All by myself," the toddler said proudly. "Mommy and Daddy help me."

"Still, she hung it after Julia showed her how all by herself," Beckett said as she and Castle sat on the couch, waiting for them.

"It's a beautiful tree," Martha said with a smile as she could see Julia and Eliza watching her anxiously for her opinion. "And I'm sure once Alexis hangs up her things with you, it'll be absolutely stunning."

"Mommy," Julia said as they went back to the couch. "When can we go see the lights?"

"You don't want to see them Christmas night still?" Beckett asked.

"Can Eliza come this time?" Julia asked, since the past two Christmases her little sister had had to stay home with Martha.

"We'll need to see, but we'll try and take her," Castle said, since he and his wife had talked about that already. He played the movie then, the girls leaning against their grandmother on either side of her. He was sitting on an armchair and he reached over, grabbing Beckett's hand as she was sitting on the couch near him. He was looking at the screen of the TV, but wasn't really seeing what was on the screen as he was thinking more about the case. He felt his wife squeeze his hand and looked over at her, seeing she was smiling knowingly. Guessing that she could tell what was on his mind, he squeezed her hand back to let her know he'd try to concentrate on their family.

When the movie had finished, Julia took Martha's bowl to the kitchen before Castle washed it, leaning against the cabinet as she waited for him to finish. When her father had asked if she was okay she smiled up at him and said, "Yeah, I just wish you could write during the day."

"We will, when the case we're going to help with is over," Castle explained. "And we'll write a little tonight like your mom said… I think."

"You won't be too tired?" Julia asked as he dried his hands on a towel.

"We've written at night before," Beckett said, walking up to them then.

"You have?" Julia said in surprise.

"Sometimes, when you were asleep," Castle said to confirm the look that Julia still had on her face. "Now, we need to get your sister into bed so we'd better head upstairs."

"Your mom took her upstairs," Beckett said as Castle picked Julia up.

"Are we reading to her?" the little girl asked hopefully.

"I don't think we have time," Castle said. "And it looks like your sister is asleep anyway," he said in a low voice with a smile on his face. They'd come into the room to find Eliza in her grandmother's arms, asleep on her shoulder as Martha was rocking her gently, rubbing her back.

"She was nearly out when I came up here," Castle's mother whispered.

"I'm not surprised, she had a lot of excitement today and we're late," Beckett said, taking Eliza once Martha had kissed the toddler's cheek. She laid her down on her bed, letting Julia lean over to kiss her cheek carefully before she and Martha left to go to her room.

"Sweet dreams Eliza, I love you," Castle whispered to her before he kissed her forehead tenderly.

"I love you too sweetie," Beckett said, leaning over her after she'd tucked her in. She kissed her forehead and then smoothed Eliza's hair down a little before she allowed Castle to put the net on the side. She took his hand as they left the room, going over to Julia's where their oldest was hugging Martha.

"I'll head to my room," she said to them. "I said goodnight to her already, she insisted on it," she said as Castle and Beckett smiled.

"Tired Mother?" Castle asked her.

"Slightly," Martha replied. "Everyone was a little out of character today. And I don't mean what we were practicing; they were all ready to leave for the holidays."

"That's how kids can be," Beckett pointed out.

"It's inherent in us all then," Martha said as she left. "Goodnight you two and I'll see you in the morning."

"Night," Beckett said with a smile.

"Do we have time to read now?" Julia asked.

"For a little," Castle said, looking at his watch then.

"He's right," Beckett said, not surprised when Julia looked at her. "Get your book."

Hurrying over to her desk, Julia grabbed the book she was reading through at the moment, and she said, "I wish we had more of the _Dear Canada_ books."

"You really liked that one didn't you?" Castle said with a smile.

"Yeah, I want to read it again, but I don't want to get tired of it," Julia said as her father picked her up and set her down on her bed. She leaned against her mother who was sitting next to her against the headboard and said, "We wrote a letter to Santa."

"When?" Beckett asked.

"Friday, I didn't say 'cause I thought you would get mad we didn't do school stuff," Julia said.

"It helps you to practice your writing," Castle pointed out.

"He's right," Beckett said to Julia's look, tilting her head up to look at her. "Were you supposed to write your name in cursive?"

"The beginning and the end," the little girl explained. "We had to sign Santa's name and then sign our name."

"So what did you ask for?" Castle asked.

"A horsie," Julia said, blushing slightly.

"I think we knew that one already," Castle said with a slight laugh as his wife hugged their daughter to her. "You are very much like your mother. I should probably get ready for Eliza doing the same."

"Oh, could we do that tomorrow?" Julia said suddenly.

"Do what?" Beckett asked.

"Write a letter to Santa, Gram can help Eliza write," Julia said.

"I don't know if she'll know what to ask for but if you want to try then go ahead," Castle said, Beckett nodding.

"I just hope you two don't ask for too much," she then said, but teasingly as she knew from past letters to Santa that Julia was reasonable in her requests besides a horse. "Tell us what else you asked him for."

"I asked for more books about Canada," Julia replied. "And my teacher said that there are books about here too. And princesses."

"And England," Castle said.

"There are?" Julia asked.

"There are," Beckett said with a slight smile though she wasn't sure if she'd wanted their daughter to know that before Christmas Day but guessed it wouldn't hurt. "And I think Australia, India, New Zealand and France… Mexico?"

"Wow… but, I don't think I could read the ones from France and Mexico," Julia said. "Also from India if it's not in English."

"What else besides those books?" Beckett prompted her when the little girl had trailed off.

"Oh, if he didn't give me too many of those books, then books he thought I would like," Julia said. "Some games to play with everyone, maybe a dress, and some games that I could put on my tablet. Oh, and a Lladro."

"You asked for one?" Beckett asked in amusement.

"Yep, I said he could pick," Julia said.

"Sounds like a nice list," Castle said. "But we'll have to see what happens in three weeks."

"Oh, my calendar!" Julia said, getting up then and climbing down her bed to where her calendar was taped to the wall with a pen tied to a pin on it. She crossed off that day; the fourth of December; and then went back to her mother. "Three weeks, I can't wait. Especially 'cause now Eliza will remember what she gets."

"She will, so are we going to read now?" Castle asked as Beckett was opening the book, _Dear Mr. Henshaw_.

"We need to, or else we'll only get a page done," she told their daughter.

"I know, you can read now," Julia said, a smile on her face. She snuggled against her mother as she started to read, smiling at her father as he lay across the bed in front of them to listen.

After the customary fifteen pages they read with their oldest, Castle and Beckett got off the bed as Julia laid down, not without a little sigh though.

"At least we still read," Castle commented, leaning over and kissing her on the forehead first. "You're lucky since we're late getting you to bed too."

"Really?" Julia asked, looking at her mother.

"He's right," Beckett replied, not surprised that Julia looked a little startled hearing that. "It was a busy night."

"Okay," Castle said when his wife had looked at him and he knew she wanted him to say goodnight to their daughter. "I love you Julia, sweet dreams."

"Love you Daddy," Julia replied with a smile before sharing a kiss with him. While her mother was tucking her in she said, "Thank you for reading tonight if we are late."

"I thought you'd be a little hyper tonight," Beckett commented. "Since you usually are after watching the Beatles' movies; and Paul's. And your gram came tonight so you'd be excited about that. But that being said please try and sleep. Warm?"

"Yeah, thanks," Julia said. "I love you Mommy, night."

"I love you too Julia," Beckett said, sharing a kiss with her. She followed Castle to the door and they paused in the doorway before seeing their oldest was looking up at the ceiling. Sharing a look with her husband, she nodded to him and turned off the lights as he closed the door, knowing it was going to take a little longer for Julia to get to sleep.

"So, coffee?" Castle asked.

"If you want to write, then you need to," Beckett told him.

"Okay," Castle said simply as they went down the stairs. "This case," he began when they were closer to the kitchen. "I can't believe it's Antonio, we'll have to ask about Susannah's alibi, since she was there."

"And she discovered the body," Beckett said, leaning against the island as Castle was starting their machine up. "But what I'm wondering is motive here."

"Well," Castle said, looking thoughtful.

"Oh, here we go," Beckett said under her breath though she wasn't really trying to keep her voice down. She smiled when her husband glanced at her and said, "Yes, you were thinking?"

"Well, the Olympics were last year," Castle mused. "But maybe he's got contacts in Argentina, wanting horses; and Susannah's supposed to have the best horses-"

"So he was trying to steal horses to send down there? Weak, and implausible since they have horses down there," Beckett replied, shaking her head. "Ever heard of _gauchos_?"

"You know I had my doubts on that, but I wasn't sure what it was about Argentina that screamed horses. Now I remember," Castle said, starting the first cup. "So what if there were a group of them, trying to... No?" he asked as she just looked at him. "Wait, you know about _gauchos_ because…"

"Because I have about ten pairs of those pants in my section of the closet upstairs," Beckett said. She gave Castle a look when he glanced at her over his shoulder and told him, "I've heard about them, the cowboys and not the pants. Never owned a pair of the pants."

"Okay," Castle said simply, turning back to the coffee. "So it's not that, but there was something in his life that made the killer lure him there. Stalk and then lure," he corrected himself.

"Yeah, that's what bothers me," Beckett said. "The fact that he shot Antonio and didn't seem to care about any of those bullets striking the horses behind him…"

"Well," Castle began since his wife had asked Brad if there'd been any of the animals injured. "He either must have known that they wouldn't be hurt, or…"

"It was just lucky that none of them did get hurt," Beckett said, breathing out in slight frustration. "We'll have to take a look at that when we head to the stable."

"Here you go," Castle said. "And think we should wait to talk about this in more detail once we actually begin the case?"

"More than likely," Beckett said with a slight smile. She took a sip as she waited for him to work on his cup of coffee and then said, "Do you remember where we are?"

"We haven't written since Friday," Castle said, thinking then. "And I'm not sure if I do, hold on." He looked up at the ceiling until the machine made a noise and he was quick to finish up his cup before they walked down to their office. "Now I remember, we finished up that love scene."

"Right," Beckett told him. "We were debating a little on if we wanted to continue or stop where we were and go to the next day."

"I think we should include a little bit of pillow talk," Castle said. "I think the readers will expect that," he said as Beckett looked ready to protest that. "Remember we've had it in some form or another since the first one we wrote. And that was a lot of fun."

"What? Writing the pillow talk?" Beckett teased him to get his mind back to what they'd been talking about.

Giving her a momentary look, Castle sighed and then said, "Okay, but really love; it'll be a nice distraction from them thinking they'll have any more problems with Moor's ex."

Thinking that over, Beckett slowly nodded and then said, "What do you see them talking about though?"

"I think we should write them discussing… no," Castle said quickly as he got a sudden idea saying that. "No, what we write is them planning a weekend out."

"And with that big fight," Beckett said, picking up quickly on his train of thought. "Later on of course, that weekend won't happen, which will make the fifth book-"

"Their weekend out together," Castle finished. "Unless we-"

"Write them having the weekend after the case," he and Beckett said together.

"Okay, so I think we're set," she told him. As he started to type, reading out loud to her she nodded in a few places, or else suggested some changes. But that scene she allowed him to take care of mostly on his own since it was a short section and it was quickly finished. Looking up from her empty mug as he finished, she saw Martha walking by to the kitchen and was about to say something when Castle was kissing her neck after drawing her hair back away from it. Smiling she said, "Your mom just went into the kitchen."

That quickly made him stop, and Castle took his wife's hand, leading her out to see that she was right and she was getting some wine. "Need something to relax?" he asked her.

Jumping slightly, Martha said, "I thought you two were writing in there." She then continued with, "I do, the class was very impatient to go, I'm not sure why I bothered with it but I'm giving them a long time off. The least they could have done was give me their attention."

"Were they acting like fifth graders?" Beckett asked as Castle went to the sink to rinse their mugs.

"Not that badly, but…" Martha started to say. "They did pay attention eventually. They were just incredibly distracted," she said with a slight sigh. "But, I've finished and I'm here with you, let's hit the town." She laughed when her son and daughter in law looked at her, stunned expressions on their faces before they exchanged a look. "I'm joking; I just wanted to see your reactions. You two do go out right?"

"Yeah," Castle said, shaking himself then from the shock of hearing that.

"Once a week, whenever we feel like it we'll go out," Beckett explained. "The Fosters introduced us to their babysitter and we call her when Veronica next door is busy. She's a friend of theirs, very reliable and she also teaches first grade at the Hamptons Public School. So we can go out knowing they'll be alright."

"Well, if you two feel like going out at all, I'll be here to watch the girls," Martha assured them. She then paused as they were thanking her for that and asked, "You don't have a specific night set aside for your plans?"

"We figured being flexible would be better for our relationship," Castle commented. "And it is."

"He's right," Beckett said with a smile. "It's not something we've gotten used to or has gotten routine."

"Alright, whatever helps I suppose," Martha said as she raised her glass of wine towards them at the same time. "Good night to you both."

"Night Martha," Beckett said, Castle echoing her goodnight. She waited until she was sure her mother in law was up the stairs before she said; keeping her voice low just in case, "They're still worried."

"My mother might be," Castle corrected her. "Next August I'll have been married to you longer than my ex wives and I'll bet you anything she wants us to reach that."

"Just that August?" Beckett said with a slight smirk.

"And the Augusts after that, probably a long line of them," Castle said. He smiled when she laughed as he walked to her and took her hand, pulling her up to their room. He wasn't sure why, but when they were inside with the door closed and locked he didn't feel like trying to work her up into making love, so he let her go to start changing into her pajamas. He went into the closet to get his but as he was changing something was nagging the back of his mind and he paused for a moment.

"Rick?" Beckett said, coming in to find him staring at a pair of his shoes. "Hey, welcome back," she told him teasingly as he looked at her. "What's on your mind that you're staring like that?"

"No, just the way he looked," Castle told her. "In the picture."

Sensing that he wanted her to try and remember, Beckett conjured up the image of the crime scene photo of their acquaintance, and then said, "His coat," in surprise.

"As cold as it was he had it wide open," Castle said, nodding his head. "And he hadn't been riding, likely hadn't been jogging." He then paused for a moment saying, "The stables wouldn't have been that warm."

"And if he was just checking on the horses, he wouldn't bother opening his coat," Beckett said with a slight smile, since at times in the past she'd been so eager to try to work with Thunder that she completely forgot her gloves in the car though it'd been getting colder and colder.

"So the killer opened it for him," Castle said. "But Brad said there was no sign of a robbery," he pointed out.

"Yeah, eighty dollars in his wallet would be pretty tempting," Beckett said. "I'm surprised the killer didn't try and take that to stage it as a robbery."

"He; or she; might have known the police would doubt that since it happened in a stable," Castle said. When Beckett nodded in agreement he continued with, "There had to be something on him."

"Enough to get him killed," she replied. "Or the killer thought it would be on him."

"A document," Castle said quickly.

"We'll tell Brad tomorrow to try and look into that," Beckett said. "But for now, I'm going to go read for a little."

"Me too, after I get some water," Castle told her. "Coffee made me thirsty," he explained when she looked at him. "Want some?"

"Please," Beckett said as she went to the bed with him following her. She sat back against the headboard and opened her book, watching out of the corner of her eye as her husband left.

Instead of going down the stairs when he reached them, Castle instead walked straight past and to Eliza's room. He opened the door carefully, going inside to the bed as he watched the toddler sleeping peacefully. He leaned down then and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, straightening the covers on her. He was about to grab her stuffed horse when it was appearing in the corner of his eye. "Thanks," he whispered. And he suddenly jumped before his wife was covering his mouth with her hand.

Beckett pressed her finger to her lips, smiling when Castle nodded once and she felt she could let him go. She kissed their youngest before smoothing her hair back from her forehead. That done she grabbed her husband's hand and pulled him out into the hall. "I wanted to check on the girls too," she said softly. "And I thought you might do the same."

"You know me too well," Castle said, letting her pull him over to Julia's room, their oldest fast asleep by then. He let her fix her covers before kissing the top of her head. Doing the same, he pulled Beckett out of the room then, and when he closed the door said, "You didn't believe me when I told you about checking on Alexis."

"Oh stop it," Beckett said as they stopped at the top of the stairs. "You tease me about that every time we check in on them when they're asleep."

"Because I love that you still want to do that though you do love proving me wrong," Castle told her.

"During our cases, and that's your crazy theories," Beckett said simply before she started walking back to their room. "Go get our water," she called to him as she knew he was watching her. "Pervert."

"Reminding you I am your husband," Castle said teasingly. He laughed when Beckett glared at him, trying to keep it under control so he wouldn't wake Julia up, and he then hurried down the stairs to the kitchen.

Reading her book as he came back in, Beckett glanced up at him with a slight frown before she took the glass he handed to her. "Thanks," she said absently, setting it aside on her nightstand.

"What's wrong?" Castle asked as he went around to his side of the bed, taking a sip before getting under the covers with her.

"No just, reading this book," Beckett said, marking her page and looking at the cover. "Do you mind I call you that?"

"Pervert?" Castle asked her. When she nodded he then said, "No, because I am one, but you realize in regards to you I am right? Why do you ask." He glanced down at her book and said, "You're worried I might hold that against you eventually."

"I'm being crazy, but reading about these marriages," Beckett said, shaking her head as she held up the tome still in her hand. It was one she'd bought, a non-fiction book about royal marriages that had been or ended up being notoriously bad. "It's hard not to worry we might not go the same way as… Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II or Charles and Diana even."

"Well," Castle said. "I'm pretty sure that first marriage was destroyed because Henry was a notorious philanderer, and believe me I'm fine where I am. We're not stuck in one spot… position if you will; so I don't feel the need to be with another woman." He glanced at his wife's face and saw that she looked to be a little unsure still so he quickly said, "Really, I have a great memory and I remember what you're like every time. You're never the same exact lover, so I get to find out what's going to happen when we're together. And that we've talked about before. Now for the second marriage, Charles went into it already in love with Camilla, so… don't try to compare that to us." He then took the book out of her hands and told her, "Since this is influencing your thoughts a little tonight, let's just get this out of sight…"

Beckett watched him lean over to set the book on his nightstand and she couldn't help it, reaching over and slapping him on the ass before he jumped. "So I'm not allowed to read tonight?" she asked once he was sitting up again.

"Well, something else would work," Castle said, draping himself over her lap then to reach her nightstand. "Got any romance books? The cheesier the cover the better?"

"Get up," Beckett laughed softly, pushing him up.

"Okay, so since you don't have anything else to read, I wanted to ask you about the gifts," Castle said, sitting up and looking at her.

"What about them?" Beckett said, studying him.

"With her talking about the books, you think what we have is good?" Castle asked.

"I'm surprised you're so unsure," Beckett said, still scrutinizing his face.

"I just want this Christmas to go well for the girls," Castle told her, a little nervously since he didn't want her guessing the real reason why he was so concerned.

"You always do," Beckett said, though she was smiling at him. "Well, Julia saw the titles in the back of the book we gave her," she began. "And we know the ones she was most interested in. The Home Girl book and the Courage book, what was that one about?"

"I… after the Revolutionary War," Castle said, thinking back to the cover of the book they had in the hidden cabinet in their closet where they kept the Christmas gifts for the girls and the other members of their family.

"And we got her two of the _Dear America_ books, that one that takes place in Sonoma Valley," Beckett said.

"I'm interested in that one, though it's pre-Gold Rush," Castle commented quickly. "I have to wonder what San Francisco was like then."

"Well for starters called Yerba Buena," Beckett said. She smiled when he looked impressed and she laughed softly, shaking her head and telling him, "My history class at Stanford. Anyways, we have that Oregon Trail book too, she should love that one. And we got her two princess books…"

"Those she'll love," Castle said. "Since the first one we got is about Jahanara." He paused for a moment, and when his wife asked him what he was thinking about asked her, "I'm wondering about our second choice."

"You know she's aware of the story of Anastasia already," Beckett said simply. "And we got her two of the British books, those she'll enjoy regardless of what they're about."

"The Olympic one might be a mistake," Castle said offhandedly. When his wife glanced at him questioningly he said, "She'll want to train for the Olympics, and we'll never see her."

"A professional equestrian rider?" Beckett asked. She smiled a little nostalgically, and seeing her husband's look told him, "I thought of doing that when I was about ten. I asked my mom if she would mind if I didn't become a lawyer, but instead did that."

"And she said no?" Castle asked hesitantly, but not really believing his mother in law would have said that.

"No, neither did my dad," Beckett said. "They told me they'd stand with me whatever I did."

"We probably would have met still," Castle suddenly said. When Beckett looked at him skeptically he said, "I do watch the Olympics, I would have seen you because you're from the US and they would have shown you. Plus you would have medaled."

"Are you aware of how many better riders there are?" Beckett said. She then continued before he could reply to that saying, "Plus there's the fact you don't know where you would have been if things had turned out that way for me. You could have been stuck in an office every day."

"Alright, I'll stop," Castle said, sighing deeply though he wasn't doing it seriously as he knew his wife was teasing him. "So the Olympics one and the London stories one," he said. "You do realize we got her more books than anything else."

"I know, but those are fine to get a lot of, they'll help her vocabulary and likely teach her history," Beckett replied with a smile as she drew her knees up to the chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"What's the first _Harry Potter_ book going to do?" Castle asked.

"She should have fiction every once in a while," Beckett said, smiling still as it'd been her idea to let their daughter read the first book in the series.

"I wonder if she'll be like Alexis was when she read that one," Castle mused.

"Did she get into the whole idea of magic and everything?" Beckett asked. She then frowned slightly and asked, "How old was she when the first book was released."

"She was only three, she read the first book when she was nine when the fifth book came out," Castle said. "And she got interested, wanted to get sorted and get a wand and robes and everything."

Smiling at that Beckett said, "I can imagine it, and did she?"

"What?" Castle asked. "Oh, yeah, she did; got into Ravenclaw, I got her a wand they had… Hermione's and she got Gryffindor robes because she was Hermione for Halloween one year."

"I remember that picture now," Beckett said. "I'm surprised you didn't try to dress up as a character yourself… Hagrid?" When her husband looked at her she smirked and said, "I have read the books."

"I wonder why you didn't just tell me," Castle said.

"Well, I read the first one when it came out, I was seventeen, and I did it in secret," Beckett said. "At the time I thought it was childish to read a book for kids so… But it'll be interesting to see what Julia will be like after that first book."

"And if she wants to read the rest of the series?" Castle asked. "If you read them all, you know what the sixth and seventh are like." He wasn't surprised to see the slight grimace on her face and said, "Should we stagger the books? Give her the next one on her birthday, the third next Christmas and so on?"

"We'll figure that out when we know if she liked the first one," Beckett said. "So we'll wait. You want to read them with her though," she said, easily able to recognize that in her husband then.

"Yeah, they were fun to go through with Alexis back then," Castle said. "And since she didn't have a sibling, I got hooked into playing Harry to her Hermione."

"A scar?" Beckett asked, smiling to herself then as she could almost see the scene of them playing.

"She wanted to use her gram's eye liner to make it on my forehead, but I drew the line at that," Castle said. "But it was fun…"

"Play with her at Christmas Rick, her and the girls," Beckett told him gently, taking his hand and squeezing it tightly. "She'll want to you know."

Smiling at that and nodding, Castle picked up her hand and kissed the back of it saying, "Now, Eliza's gifts…"

"Oh no, you want to talk about those too?" Beckett said with a sigh. "We're set with their presents okay?"

"I know, just teasing you," Castle said with a smile. "So, do you want your book back?"

"You want me to read again?" Beckett asked in surprise.

"Sure why not," Castle said. He wasn't surprised when she tossed her pillow at him and he caught it easily before he set it back behind her. He leaned over to her book and grabbed it saying, "Go ahead and read." At her doubtful look, he said, "And if you need it, I'll reassure you."

Sighing, Beckett took it back and waited until Castle had his book before she went back to the page she'd left off on. She finished a chapter before she realized her husband was looking at her, and she glanced at him saying, "Had enough?" nodding to the tome in his hands. "I hope so."

"Hey, Franco Evans is a respected paranormal investigator," Castle said as he put the book aside. "I'm not really feeling up to reading," he said as he set it aside. "You?"

"After you made me go back to reading?" Beckett said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm actually on a great part, so find something else to keep yourself occupied."

Castle didn't say anything to that, only watched her starting to read again before he leaned over slightly.

"Don't read over my shoulder," Beckett said absently, her eyes still on the text.

"I'm not," Castle told her simply. He leaned back a little further down on the headboard then, looking at his wife closely to make sure that she didn't try to make him stop doing that. When she didn't say a word to him, he sat quietly, trying not to get her attention. Finally he felt enough time had passed and he reached up with his hand, very slowly sliding it below her NYPD shirt. When she jumped at the touch of his fingertips on her stomach he got the book out of her hand, tossing it over to the nightstand before he sat back up, kissing her before she could protest.

Beckett wasn't planning on protesting, not after he'd plunged his tongue past her lips. She was shaking slightly as he stroked against her own tongue, more in excitement than anything else and she fought playfully back against him. She wasn't too surprised when he suddenly started to kiss her harder in response to that and she suddenly pushed on his shoulders, making him pull away from her.

"What?" Castle asked, startled by her doing that. "You don't want-"

Covering his mouth with her hand until he'd stopped talking, Beckett reached for the bottom of her t-shirt, pulling it up and over her head before she had to wait for her husband to do the same with his. As soon as the white shirt was tossed on the headboard she wrapped her arms around him, kissing him as passionately as she could. She let him lay her down while they were fighting a little in her mouth, but only because it made their bare chests rub against each other. Stroking the back of her husband's head she was a little startled when; after a few quick shudders against her; he pulled away again. "You-" she began.

"Not like that," Castle said, brushing his lips to hers. That time; after she had responded to him; he made the kiss very careful but sensuous at the same time. When she responded in turn he was pleased at that since it meant she was okay to follow him; wondering though how she'd gone from wanting it passionate to very simple. But before he could think of an answer she broke off their kiss and slid out from under him. "Love-"

Brushing her lips to Castle's as he started to protest, Beckett smiled and stood next to the edge of the bed. She nearly laughed at his scrambling to sit there in front of her and she leaned down, sharing a quick kiss with him before she took off her pajama pants. Standing back up she watched as her husband tossed them onto the headboard, leaning backwards and to his right a little to make sure the fabric didn't drape down to the bed. Deciding to take advantage of waiting for him she reached down, cupping her hand fully over his groin and gently squeezing it before she proceeded to stroke; not surprised when he almost fell onto his back.

"Damn it Kate," Castle breathed heavily, managing to push himself back up. He moved her hand off though he really didn't want to and then wrapped his arms around her bringing her close. "I wanted this to go a little more slowly."

"I noticed but don't worry, this is doing plenty for me," Beckett said. She smiled for a moment as he glanced down at her groin though she was pressed against him and he wasn't able to see it. "Do you want to see?" she asked him. When his eyes went wide and he nodded, she shook her head and told him, "Needs more work."

"I don't know if I can look that innocent," Castle said with a slight smile as he wasn't shocked she'd read through him easily. He watched her take off her panties and then started to bring her onto the bed with him. But she stood where she was and he sighed, standing up. "This doesn't take that long," he groaned slightly in frustration though he'd started to take off the rest of his clothes. As soon as they were on the headboard as well he was making her lay back in the middle of the mattress before he got on top of her. Kissing her deeply he grabbed the extra pillow he'd been using, tucking it underneath her hips. Seeing she was watching him quietly he asked, "Do you not want this here?"

"No, just wondering what you're waiting for now," Beckett said simply.

Groaning, as at the same time she'd taken his erection in her hand, Castle was going to pull it away when she stopped him with her free hand. With that permission he slid into her and started groaning again, hearing her crying out softly until they were coupled. "You weren't kidding."

"I don't know if it's a… bad thing you arouse me… that quickly," Beckett started to say, having to stop because Castle was kissing her quickly. "But…" she never finished what she was going to say, as he proceeded to thrust, and she was digging her nails into his back as the sensation was a little shocking after their trying to limit their lovemaking recently. "Oh god… Rick," she breathed in joy.

"Yeah… me too," Castle breathed out himself as he could feel the same as she was. The intensity of that first thrust after an absence of them was strong and he hoped it didn't mean they weren't going to last. After a moment of watching his wife as she was moving with him he leaned down, kissing at her neck. He got her permission to continue doing that quickly since she tilted her head back and gave him better access in the process. He nipped carefully at the pulse in her throat, soothing that with his tongue as she moaned his name deeply. He tried to keep himself under control hearing her; but it was very hard to do. That added with the way she was so tight around him, he knew he wasn't going to be able to last that long. Realizing what he'd thought to himself he stopped though he nearly cursed himself out loud at the loss of her silky and wet, continuously moving around him as he made love to her.

"Oh god… don't start that now," Beckett said in frustration as she raised her head slightly.

"No," Castle said simply before he crushed her lips in a kiss. He kept it rough as their heads began to tilt back and forth and while they were busy with that he allowed his body to start to move again. He moved back as she tilted her head back to groan and he kissed down her chin to the hollow of her throat. He felt the cool aquamarine of her pendant that was next to it and he flicked his tongue around it for a moment before moving further to her breasts.

Quickly, before he could stop and do something else to distract her, Beckett slid her fingers through her husband's hair, making him stay in place. She sucked in a deep breath when his lips first nuzzled at her right mound and her nails dragged across his scalp when he took her nipple into his mouth. Her eyes closed tightly before she suddenly began to thrust against him harder than he was going. She was surprised when his free hand reached down to her and stopped her, groaning when he did the same. "Are you punishing me?" she said to him, arching her hips and trying to move against him again. She let out a quick gasp when he turned them around, placing her on top. "Alright," she said, getting on her knees quickly. "Now it's my turn to do that."

"Wait-" Castle started to say in protest as he realized that she was right. He took her hungry kiss then and braced himself a little bit as she began to move, wondering what exactly she was going to do. But he lost the rigidity in his body when he realized that she was going slowly. Sucking in some air as the sensation of her around him moving again he unexpectedly stopped breathing. She'd suddenly slowed down, to the point that she hardly felt like she was sliding down on him, and his hands were clutching tight to the small of her back as he suddenly was begging for her to move again.

Beckett didn't reply to that, instead she started to thrust once more; that time going faster then he had but not going so far that she was fucking him. She slid her arms over his shoulders and then cupped the back of his head before leaning down, kissing him on the lips as gently as she could. She then parted before kissing him again and when she parted shortly after, that time he kissed her. She smiled slightly when they moved away from each other and she pressed her cheek to his, hearing his breathing at her ear. She tried not to, but there was no way she could keep from shivering in the pleasure of hearing its steady cadence and she wrapped her arms around his neck as tightly as she could before they turned their heads enough to kiss one another as deeply as they could. Pulling back from him when they had to breathe she was stroking his cheeks with her hands and trying to take the friction that had worked up between them; even with the slightly slower pace; and she couldn't help telling him, "I couldn't really… do it."

"Punish me?" Castle asked as their lips brushed against each other since he'd pressed them to hers. When she nodded he moved them once more, laying her on her back. He didn't let much time pass before he was thrusting against her but the difference that time was he slid his hands underneath her hips, tilting them up. He watched her closely as he moved, groaning as his wife did the same. He couldn't help swearing on an exhale before he told her, "I'm going to want this again," as a kind of warning.

"W-when?" Beckett breathed out in bliss as she tilted her head back, closing her eyes as he was suddenly starting to try and get deeper within her, changing the angle of his hips. She squeezed the back of his neck that she was holding onto before she started to slide her hand down his back. At that point she began to stroke at his skin, feeling him awkwardly moving, losing his rhythm. She couldn't help play with that a little bit, biting her lower lip when he buried his face against her neck and she could feel her husband's shudder going from his right shoulder, to his left and then down him. She kept doing that, wanting to feel it as it made him jerk within her too; and faster. She breathed out happily as he moved up above her and she raked her nails over his skin, from the small of his back to his shoulders, not surprised when he stopped completely. "Again love?" she asked in a whisper.

"Yes!" Castle groaned out as she was already starting to do that. When she stopped once she was back up to his shoulders he raised his head and kissed her once more. He could feel then that they were losing control as their bodies were losing their concurrent pace, but he found that he couldn't stop it, not wanting to. So he pulled back from her and told her seriously, "Come for me my love, I can feel you."

"You can't," Beckett suddenly taunted him, not surprised he looked taken aback by that. "Not yet, not until I can feel you with me… Come with me Rick, and I'll let you have me whenever you want."

"Is that a promise?" Castle asked her, just barely holding onto the last shred of his self control.

"Yes," Beckett breathed, needing that air for moving the last few thrusts with him that turned rough and fast before they could stop themselves. That was when everything in her broke and she allowed it to, arching her back in that split second when her climax hit her, then she proceeded to writhe underneath her husband. She bit her lower lip but couldn't stop the cries of his name before he started to join her, feeling in the way that he was jerking and shaking against her he was enjoying himself. His calling her name repeatedly also clued her in to that and she just held onto him for as long as she could before they had been literally spent and she collapsed on the bed, Castle on top of her.

The room was silent for a few minutes before the two could move again, and Castle was the first to do so as he pushed himself up further from her on his elbows. "Good?" he asked her.

"Is that supposed to refer to how you were or how I'm doing this second?" Beckett asked him wryly.

"Which would be better for me to ask?" Castle asked, pretending to be hesitant.

"Neither," Beckett told him. She tried to keep him from moving off of her but he carefully did so and in response to that she was quick to turn to his side, draping her arm across his chest.

Taking a moment to kiss the top of his wife's head, Castle said, "Were you serious about what you told me?"

"I was waiting for that to come up," Beckett said with a wry smile, raising her head to look down at him. "And you know the answer but since you obviously want to hear it coming out of my mouth; yes. Yes Richard Castle you can have me whenever you want-" She had to pause there as he was beginning to sit up and she placed her hand on his chest to stop him from getting up further than his elbows, telling him, "But we need to be alone for that."

"Since I don't want to earn that sobriquet of pervert; an offhanded utterance of it is fine; I'll make sure we are," Castle replied to her and then kissed her before she could say anything to that. He felt her immediately start to respond and he groaned in pleasure as they were quick to almost attack each other's lips hungrily. He could almost literally feel the blood pumping through his veins at that, though he knew it was only his racing heartbeat. He didn't stop until their lips were throbbing in response and he pressed his forehead against hers tightly. "What if I told you I had the best gift for you this year; better than past years?" he asked her.

"What brought that on?" Beckett asked in slight surprise as she could feel in his hold that he was tense. Their bodies were nearly pressed up against each other, his hand on the side of her neck holding her in place. The closeness of him to her was suddenly making her react; as she was hard pressed not to wonder what he could do to her with her being a little vulnerable to him like that. She bit her lower lip at her sudden arousal, so quickly after she'd just had a very amazing climax because of her husband, and she had to force herself to listen to him as he spoke.

"Because I need you to know I'm trying to make up," Castle said.

"For what?" Beckett said, confused as she tried to pull away from him to look at him, but he wouldn't let her.

"For the fact that I have a wife who is showing me every time she touches me that I have the most amazing lover I could have imagined. And my fantasies were always pretty racy. So for you to be much better than those… you know you're perfection," Castle said. He let go of her then; since she used a little force for him to do that; and he leaned down, kissing her briefly as she lay on her pillow.

" _Then show me_ Rick," Beckett said then, not surprised at his abrupt shudder in response to her use of Irish. " _Show me how I'm perfection and don't let me forget I'm taking you from those fantasies to keep you here with me… always_ ," she said, her voice descending into a whisper as a smile spread across her face and she pulled him on top of her.

" _You never fail at that my love_ ," Castle said seriously. "Kate?" he asked her then as she bit her lower lip briefly in response to his Irish. "I love you, always."

"I love you too Rick," Beckett said with a smile. "Come here lover," she then told him before a slight laugh escaped her lips as he almost lunged for her at the use of her rare endearment; and her tone.

The laughter rapidly disappeared once Castle was on top of his wife and he and Beckett proceeded to find one another. They made love roughly as they wanted to feel more undeniably that what they were doing was real and that what they were doing together was possibly the most beautiful, satisfying thing they had together; and why they were still a little madly in love with each other. The snow brushing against the windows outside never touched the couple in their room, being lost in their lovemaking, and the winter night continued though Castle and Beckett became largely unaware of it as time passed them by.


	4. Wait Until Morning Comes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song The Loveliest Thing by Paul McCartney, from the 1993 reissue of his album Flowers in the Dirt.

Focusing on what she was making on the stove, Beckett wasn't sure why she hadn't ended up jumping with the surprise of her husband grabbing her around the waist, pulling her back to him slightly. "I don't think it's the best idea to do that when I'm cooking," she said with a smile as he leaned down kissing her neck.

"No but still, I surprised you that's saying something," Castle replied, letting her go.

"Where are the girls?" Beckett asked, as she'd come down to start breakfast, leaving him to help their youngest dress and get ready.

"Eliza's coming right now," Castle commented.

"She's, Castle, the stairs," Beckett said then as she realized what he'd said, her tone becoming a little angry. She hurried towards the staircase, but before she could leave the kitchen, Eliza popped out from around the divider to her left.

"Hi Mommy!" she cried. "Daddy said to surprise you."

"Really love, you think I'd let her go down the stairs," Castle said, turning off the burner Beckett had left on in her hurry. "I'm sad to realize you think so little of me."

Rolling her eyes, Beckett said, "Don't try and fish for compliments," as she picked up their youngest. Sharing a kiss with her she said, "Your breakfast will be ready soon. Your mom?" she directed to Castle.

"Still in her room," he replied as they heard the footsteps of Julia coming down then. "Though she might not be with the way these two were running around."

Smiling at that, Beckett watched as Julia came to the hallway and walked down to them in her school uniform. "Going to set the table?" she asked the little girl.

"Right now," Julia said before her mother was setting Eliza down. She smiled at her sister as she held on tightly to her mother's leg before she could walk away and she hurried over saying, "Let go Lizzy, Mommy has to make breakfast."

"With me," Eliza said, shaking her head.

"Here," Castle said, picking the little girl up and kissing her on the cheek. He set her down on the counter before he said, "I can take over for you."

"I've got it," Beckett said simply. "Just make sure she doesn't try and juice her finger too," she told her husband as he was starting to cut oranges.

"I learned my lesson," Castle said. "Eliza," he said slightly sternly as the toddler was sticking her finger into the juicer.

"Playing for you Daddy," Eliza told him with a giggle.

"Joking and I guess I deserve that after what I did to your mother," Castle said, leaning over and kissing her forehead.

"Oh, you surprised her?" Julia asked after she'd gotten the napkins on the table and was going back to them for the silverware.

"What, did all of you know about his plan?" Beckett asked, pretending to be angry.

"I didn't," Martha said as she walked to the kitchen, getting everyone's attention.

"Good morning Mother," Castle said as the girls said good morning to her at the same time. "I think they're happy you're here," he said as he had to hold Eliza in place next to him then.

"Come here kiddo," Martha said, taking the toddler in her arms. "Tell me, did you sleep well last night? And you Julia, come here."

"I have to set the table," the little girl said importantly, smiling widely at the same time. "But I slept great, did you?"

Listening to the three talking at the table as she put Eliza in her high chair which he noticed Beckett placed next to Martha's usual chair that morning, Castle leaned over to his wife as he finished the last of the juice saying, "You're having her help Eliza with eating?"

"We can always move the chair if she doesn't want to," Beckett said, starting a second omelet then. "But I dare you to ask her Rick. I dare you."

Glancing at the table, Castle said, "No, not going to."

Watching him, Beckett smiled for a moment before she turned back to the stove and was setting the omelet onto a plate before she realized that her husband was standing next to her, leaning against the counter. Glancing at him, she raised her eyebrow slightly in question and watched as he went to the table with the orange juice, wondering why he was staring at her.

"Are you gonna come with us to my school?" Julia was asking as her father set the pitcher down next to them.

"Are you walking?" Martha asked, looking outside.

"It's not that cold," Castle said, looking over at his wife.

"No, and the sun is out," Beckett replied. "We'll be walking with Mari."

"I thought you would," Martha replied. "I'll go, so I can see you off and also see how Rebecca is doing."

"Are you going to make coffee Daddy?" Julia asked him eagerly as her grandmother started to pour out the orange juice in their cups.

"Right now, Mother?" Castle asked.

"I'll be fine," Martha said, waving her hand.

"You're going to the coffee shop after we drop her off aren't you?" Castle asked.

"Yes," Martha told him. "Now go and make yourself and your wife some coffee."

Shaking his head though he had a slight smile on his face at that, Castle went to the machine and when his daughter called him he said, "You'll see sweetie, just wait."

Glancing over at her husband as he began making two cups, Beckett was also looking at Julia, who looked to be a little eager, and then she said, "You know what he's going to put in the foam don't you?"

"Yeah, he told us when you came down here," Julia replied with a wide smile. "But he made us promise not to tell, didn't he?" she directed to her little sister.

Eliza looked at her mother and smiled shyly before nodding. "Daddy said."

"You're lucky you have partners for this," Beckett said wryly to her husband.

"I am," Castle said, by then beginning to make a shape in the foam of the first cup. At the same time he was making his own cup and once they were both finished he glanced at the table quickly to make sure that their daughters were occupied by his mother, he went over to the stove.

Looking down at the cup, Beckett couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face as she saw the heart there. "You're a sappy, sappy man Rick," she told him.

"Of course I am," Castle said. "It helps."

Shaking her head and relieved that he didn't say anything more to that; in case their family was listening to them; Beckett leaned over to him and kissed him deeply. She kept that quick though, as she knew the girls would notice there weren't any noises coming from them working on breakfast.

"So you liked it I take it," Martha said with a smile.

"He put a heart there," Julia said eagerly, unable to keep that secret anymore.

"Here," Beckett said, going over to the table to show them.

"You're quite an artist," Martha told her son. "I've said that before when I've seen what you've been able to do with this coffee, but I'll repeat it."

"Do you like it?" Beckett asked Eliza, who giggled a little bit at that.

"Yeah, very pretty," the toddler said.

Leaning down, Beckett shared a kiss with her before she set her mug at her plate and going back to the kitchen. She then cupped Castle's cheek and kissed him gently before she turned back to the meal.

Wanting to go over to her, as he'd moved the end of the island while watching her at the table; Castle resisted the urge and instead watched her as he cleaned up around the machine, the room quiet except for his mother and the girls talking quietly at the table.

As soon as the last omelet was finished, Beckett called Castle over to her to help get the plates out, surprised when their oldest rushed over to help them. "Here's yours," she said, giving her the dish. She was surprised when the little girl stayed where she was, and asked, "You want to take another one?"

"Lemme take Gram's, please?" Julia begged.

Before Beckett could protest, Castle took the plate in Julia's hand and gave her the one that was Martha's before giving her Eliza's little dish with a small omelet on it. "There," he told them. "She can carry those."

"Thank you Daddy!" Julia said happily before she walked carefully to the table.

"I feel like a queen, being served like this," Martha said with a smile as she took her dish from her granddaughter. "Thank you so much darling."

"And that's for you," Julia said as she reached up to put Eliza's plate on the high chair tray.

"Thank you," the toddler said, smiling widely at her sister. "What do you eat?"

"She's eating this," Castle told them, setting down Julia's omelet in front of her plate. He watched as she climbed up onto her chair and then sat next to his wife at their chairs that were pushed together that time.

"Gram said that we can write letters to Santa when I come home," Julia said after they'd been eating for a bit.

"I'm surprised they didn't do that sooner," Martha commented.

"Well, we didn't know if Julia wanted to," Beckett said with a smile, watching as her mother in law was helping Eliza pick up a piece of omelet she'd cut for her.

"And why wouldn't she?" Martha asked.

Castle and Beckett shared a look at that; not really able to answer that question as they'd been unsure if their oldest believed in Santa still. But Martha seemed to understand what they weren't saying so she quickly asked Julia about the history day her class was having.

"When is it?" Castle's mother then asked before her granddaughter could reply.

"It's in March," Julia replied. "We're gonna be able to dress up like a time in history for the day."

"How will they play at recess?" Martha asked.

"It's just for a day," Beckett replied. "And she'll be wearing her uniform top and khakis under her dress she'll have."

"Did you pick something out already?" Martha said.

"No, but we're gonna go to the theater place where they have costumes," Julia said.

"No you won't," Martha said. When the others looked at her she then said quickly before they could protest, "I'll make the dress while I'm here."

"But what if I get too big for it?" Julia asked, though she looked eager.

"I'll make it slightly bigger," Martha assured her. "Now what era did you decide on?"

"The Regency period," Castle said. "Basically when they learned about what happened in New York during the War of 1812. She didn't say, but she has to write a little report about that and present it in her costume."

"Can you make that kind of dress?" Beckett asked.

"Oh of course," Martha said. "We'll head to the fabric store in Southampton one day this week and I'll look for a pattern online with you too."

"Gram?" Julia asked after she had thanked her grandmother.

"What is it Julia?" Martha asked distractedly as Eliza was trying to pick up the last piece of her omelet with her fingers.

"Can you make Eliza a dress too?" Julia said. She glanced at their parents and seeing them looking at her, she grew a little uncomfortable before saying hurriedly, "That way she can play dress up with it now and doesn't have to wait to fit into my dress when I'm too big for it."

"She's definitely your daughter," Martha said to her son and daughter in law. "And yes, I can do that. Do you want matching dresses?"

"No," Julia said quickly before her mother could say the same thing. "Let Eliza pick what she likes."

"Okay," Martha said with a smile.

"And now that we've got that set," Castle said, seeing that they'd all finished eating by then. "Let's get going before Julia's late."

"And Mari," the little girl said quickly.

"And Mari," Beckett said. "Can you take Eliza sweetie?" she asked as she went to get her out of her high chair. She kissed the toddler's cheek and then set her down, watching as the two went over to the hall.

"She's quite the big sister," Martha said, helping them clear the table.

"You know she wanted to be for a while," Castle told her as he started to wash everything. "So she's happy."

"I've seen," Martha said. "Should I start bundling up?"

"Yeah, I'll join you," Beckett said before she heard Julia calling to her. "Or I will in a second," she said with a smile before she hurried to the bathroom where the two were washing up.

"So I have nothing to worry about do I?" Martha asked with a smile as she turned then to her son.

"No," Castle replied a little absently as he was shaking the water from his hands. "Is Alexis still concerned?"

"No, after seeing you two back to normal after your trip she was convinced you're doing very well together," Martha said. "And I know you are," she said, squeezing his arm as he dried his hands then. "I worry about your future sometimes though."

"With my history I'm not surprised," Castle said. "But we actually learned to look forward to it."

"The girls?" Martha asked.

"The girls; and us too," Castle said with a nod before he heard someone running down the hall. "Is it time to go?" he asked Julia.

"Mommy says," the little girl told him seriously, nodding.

"Then we need to go," Castle said, taking her hand as she pulled him down to the entry.

Getting on everything for the nippy stroll to school, Castle and Beckett let their daughters lead the way with Martha, walking arm in arm together to the Fosters. That time David answered the door, as behind him Rebecca was finishing helping her daughter with her wool cap.

"She's nearly ready," David told the girls who he let pass him to go to his daughter. "Nice to see you Martha," he told her.

"And to see you as well. I'll go, I'm sure you want to talk with them about the election," Castle's mother said, slipping past him then so she could talk to Rebecca.

"You have another case?" David asked.

"Yeah, we're heading out to Susannah Harper's place," Castle replied.

"Antonio De Soto?" David then said. At their nods he said, "The _Report_ said he'd been shot in her stable?"

"One of them," Beckett replied. "But I think that's about all we can tell you. You're not mayor yet you know."

"Still, I should learn how to do this if I have a chance," David said, glancing back to see if Mari was ready to leave.

"You're up in the polls David, people love you here," Castle assured him. "Including us."

"Alright, thank you for the pep talk," David said with a smile. "I have a fundraiser in January, the last one before the election, down at the country club; where we're having a brunch dinner. I'm inviting you two there."

"What kind of fundraiser?" Beckett asked as it wasn't the first time they'd gone for their friend's sake, to support him.

"Dinner and dancing, I'm not sure about Rebecca though," David said doubtfully. "She won't be able to dance at least."

"I might surprise you," Rebecca said, coming up behind them then. "And like I just told Martha, I'm doing fine today too. And Mari's ready to go."

After that, the Fosters said goodbye to their daughter before she set off to school. That time the three girls were walking in front of the adults, holding hands with Eliza who was in the middle.

"Think you're going to get to dance the Samba at all?" Mari was asking as they neared the school.

"I don't know, maybe at the end we will," Julia said doubtfully.

"Then your mommy and daddy can see, and your grandma," Mari pointed out.

"Not Mommy and Daddy," Julia was quick to correct her friend. "They need to work."

"I stay with Gram," Eliza then said as she was nodding.

"Oh, but you can show them," Mari said. She then giggled as she glanced behind her at the adults and said, "Teach them the Samba roll. They could do it, 'cause your daddy's tall. Mine could too, 'cause mine's tall too, but Mommy can't since she has the baby in her now."

"I don't think they would do that," Julia said, smiling at the idea though. But she had to admit that her friend was right in that aspect, remembering her dance lesson the day before and not being able to start the roll as she and Peter were the same height. She wanted to tell Mari about how her father probably wouldn't like her knowing the roll yet, but by then they'd gone into the building of their elementary school.

"Okay, first is Mari," Castle said as they reached her room. "Have a great day Mari and your parents told you that Martha is picking you up right?"

"My daddy might come and pick me up," Mari said. "But if he doesn't come I'll go with Martha."

"We'll probably see you tomorrow mor-" Beckett started to say before her daughter was tugging at her sleeve. "Alright, Martha? Ask Rebecca and David if Mari can go home with you."

"I will," Castle's mother replied, smiling at Mari and Julia who were looking up at her hopefully.

"Have a great day Mari, we'll see you," Beckett said. She then paused and looking at Castle, nodded as she easily saw he was thinking the same as her.

"Ask if she can stay with you for dinner," he then told his mother. "You can order in for them if we're not back."

"I'll be glad to," Martha said, smiling with them down at the three girls who all looked excited at that.

"Now you've got that to look forward to," Castle said to Mari then. "But don't forget your school work."

"I won't," Mari giggled at him. "Thanks for bringing me, bye!"

"Quickly, quickly, you're going to be late," Castle said in a mock panicked tone, taking the girls' hands and going down the hall as they giggled. With Martha and Beckett following, they made it to the fourth grade classroom upstairs in time to say goodbye to Julia outside.

"We'll be there as soon as your dance class starts," Martha was saying as Eliza hugged her sister. "To see the whole thing."

"Thanks Gram, I want Eliza to see the Waltz," Julia said. "I'll see you then."

"Kay, I wanna see you dance," Eliza replied. "Bye!"

Julia went to her grandmother who hugged her tightly to her and said, "Bye Gram, I'm so glad you're here."

"Come here," Castle said after his mother had kissed Julia again at her words, picking her up and kissing her cheek. "No reading okay? But I hope you have a great day too."

"I know," Julia said as she knew he was only slightly serious about her reading during class. She shared a kiss with him before he set her back down so she could say goodbye to her mother. "Be careful," she told her seriously, thinking of their case then.

"We will, but don't worry about us, have a great day alright?" Beckett told her. When Julia nodded she then leaned down and shared a kiss with her before letting her go to watch her walk into the classroom. When they saw Julia was inside, she picked up Eliza and carried her as they went outside in front of the school.

"Where are you going now? The station?" Martha asked as Beckett gave her the toddler.

"No, we'll be picked up down the block," she replied. She then leaned over and kissed Eliza's cheek telling her, "We'll see you tonight okay? Have fun with your gram."

"I will," the toddler said with a smile. She smiled when Castle came over and kissed her and said, "Come for dinner."

"We'll try," he told her before he stepped back, watching the two leaving. "Ready?" he asked, turning to his wife. When she nodded he took her hand and they headed down the block. "I hope we're not late," he said with a wince.

"He probably took Jake upstairs before us," Beckett said, since Brad was in his cruiser down the block from the school to drop off his kids. But she hurried with him down the sidewalk until they reached the car and she got into the front while Castle went in the back. "How long have you been waiting?" she asked as the chief pulled away from the curb.

"Not long," Brad assured them. "So if you've thought about the case at all, let me know what you have. And if you've thought of any crazy theories, better tell me them now Richard." The car was quiet for a long time, and he turned saying, "Is he sick?"

"No, he had one last night, but it was about _gauchos_ and didn't pan out," Beckett replied, a slight smile on her face at that.

" _Gauchos_ as in the pants or the cowboys?" Brad asked.

"The cowboys Brad," Castle told his friend in slight irritation.

"Alright so I didn't expect much in the way of theories anyways," the chief replied. "We've looked into everyone that we could, even Susannah and her lawyer."

"Lawyer?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah, she said she was planning on buying a horse and wanted her lawyer to draw up paperwork for that," Brad said.

"She's very careful with that sort of thing," Castle commented from the back.

Glancing over her shoulder at him, Beckett asked, "How well do you know her?"

Before Castle had to answer that though, they were pulling up at the gate of the Harper Ranch, and he leaned down a little to see Officer Bernier leaning into the window.

"Hey, she's been asking about the stalls in the back of the building," the officer told him. "She wants to put her horses back there."

"After we look through, CSU was in there a second time?" Brad asked.

"They were," Bernier said. "Hey Castle, Beckett."

"Bernier," Beckett said before Brad went up the gravel drive. She looked out the window then at some horses in a paddock at the front of the property and saw out of the corner of her eye that her husband was watching her. Glancing at him more closely she was going to say something, when the cruiser stopped and Brad got out. "Have you found anything that's evidence?" she asked him.

"Not really," Brad replied as they walked to the entrance where another officer was guarding it. "I was here with CSU the first time and they didn't find a thing only that the killer crouched down to shoot." When the two looked at him in surprise at that, he shrugged saying, "You'll see when you look at this," handing Beckett the autopsy report. "But a quick request," he said, suddenly stopping in the middle of the aisle. "Look at the scene first."

After the chief had handed him the crime scene photos they'd looked at the day before, Castle said, "You're leaving us here."

"You've got gloves," Brad said, handing a pair each to them. "And you know what to do. I need to talk to Susannah."

Watching as the man took the officer with him towards the house, Beckett said, "He's a great guy."

"Yeah," Castle said absently, trying to tuck the photos under his arm before he started to put on his pair of gloves. "Are you having as hard a time as…" he started to say when he was having a little difficulty. But looking up he trailed off, watching as his wife went to a horse sticking its head out of its stall. "Are they okay?" he asked, knowing immediately what she was likely checking.

"They are," Beckett replied as she slid her hand back to get the horse away from the cuff of her coat which it was nibbling at. "So there was a silencer," she said as she finally tore herself away from the horse and put on the gloves in her other hand. They turned and walked down to the other end of the stable and she saw what Brad had meant by the trajectory. "He…" she began to say, turning and looking into the stall. She closed the door to it then and said, "He opened the gate."

"I know, I'm trying to see it myself, I'm having a hard time," Castle said, watching her. He walked after her into the stall and said, "He could have had a better angle standing here, shooting this way," as he stood pressed against the wall right next to the opening. "Wouldn't have given Antonio a chance."

"No, he wanted him to see what was going to happen to him," Beckett replied, walking around a large pile of hay in the middle, studying it closely.

"What?" Castle asked, watching her. He was surprised when she suddenly started to go through the strands asking, "You think CSU missed that?"

"No, but I don't think they double checked it," Beckett said, feeling him kneel next to her. When she saw him take a tiny pinch of the straw she looked at him saying, "That's you helping?"

"No, this is me smelling the hay," Castle said.

"So looks like you have become Hooch," Beckett replied to that wryly. She pushed him aside as he tossed the hay onto her, getting it on her hair before she turned back to the mound, getting down to the floor quickly.

"Nothing?" Castle asked, grunting as he stood.

"Knee?" Becket asked as she shook her head in response to his question.

"It's fine," Castle said simply. "Might snow later though."

"Your brace?" Beckett asked.

"I don't see myself needing it," Castle said. "I'll look over at the other stall where the shot struck the wall." When his wife only nodded he nodded once himself and watched her get a flashlight from her pocket, studying the ground. He then left so she could look over everything and clicked his tongue once as the horse in that stall stuck its head out. "Never can do that as well as you," he commented to Beckett as he could see her standing up.

"It still works," she replied, turning to him and seeing that the mare had allowed him to rub her forehead. "Don't go inside," she said. "We'll have to talk to Ms. Harper, see if she'll allow us to go inside."

"Right, well, it had to be at high velocity to go through that wall," Castle said, looking at the bullet hole next to the window in the back. "Really glad this horse… Tippy… Tippy? Well, anyways, glad she didn't get hit."

"Me too," Beckett said distantly, digging through some of the hay in the corner of the stall to the left of the opening. "I think CSU was right, there's nothing here, it must have been covered in hay and the killer knew to clean up after themselves," she called to her husband with a sigh before she stood. She was about to tell him they should head to the house to speak to the owner, when the woman herself suddenly glided inside, going straight for him.

"Oh Richard, I'm so glad you're here," Susannah Harper said. "I thought it would be best to ask for your help with this, to find Antonio's killer."

"Yeah, we're happy to help," Castle said, having had to take a step away from the woman as she'd come right up to him almost. "Me and my wife, you know Kate."

"Oh, of course," Susannah said, glancing at Beckett who was stepping out into the aisle. "So, have you found anything?"

"Is it possible for us to go inside the stall here, to examine where the bullet exited?" Beckett said, trying not to clench her jaw in annoyance as the ranch owner was not taking her eyes off her husband for long.

"Yes, go right ahead," Susannah said. "But just a warning, Tippy's a little nervous right now so-"

Before she could finish, Beckett walked up to the palomino horse and started to murmur to it, smiling when the mare relaxed quickly. She took off her glove to pet it with her bare hand and she then grabbed the bridle as she opened the gate.

"She's great with horses," Castle said, unable to help smiling in some satisfaction when he saw the shock on Susannah's face.

"Yes, I can see that," the woman replied as the mare followed Beckett to the wall in the back. "So you ride?"

"You heard of Thunder right?" Castle asked, since he knew she was friends with the owner of the stables he and Beckett rode at.

"Yes, I heard he's been sold now that he's calmed- that was you?" Susannah said in surprise as she looked to Beckett.

Stepping out of the stall and going to the one across from it; the one next to where the killer had been, Beckett didn't say a word before she scooped up some oats in her hand. She let the mare eat them before she scratched the side of its face carefully. Only then did she turn to the woman and told her, "That was me, I'm wondering if Chief Davis has talked to you?"

"Oh of course," Susannah said.

"Mind if you tell us what you told him?" Castle asked at his wife's glance to him.

"No, I was with Antonio briefly as he was going into the other building to see Star, my new colt. My lawyer got here and I left to go with him into the house to complete some paperwork. We didn't hear a shot but we could hear the horses going crazy and I ran out here, afraid that someone had stolen a horse," Susannah explained.

"Where was your lawyer?" Beckett asked then.

"He was in the house, calling 911," Susannah replied.

"Before you'd realized what had happened?" Beckett said doubtfully.

"We thought there was a thief," Susannah said staunchly. "But when I got here…" she trailed off, nodding to the blood on the ground which was cordoned off.

"Did you see anyone leaving?" Castle asked.

"No, but considering how far the house is…" Susannah said. "Oh, and I did tell Chief Davis that I heard a car as I was turning away to go back to tell Stanley; Stanley Moran he's my lawyer," she said quickly to Beckett. "But I heard a car leaving."

"That could have been the killer," she said. Turning to the doors that were closed to her right she asked, "Can I open these?"

"Sure, they were open yesterday, so there wasn't much need to look at them for evidence," Susannah said. She turned to Castle to talk to him again, but when he walked after his wife she frowned and rolled her eyes, staying where she was.

Looking out the door she opened with Castle's help, Beckett said, "Not too hard to get down to the fence, climb up into a tree and over the other side."

"Yeah, so he's fairly fit," he said. At her nod he then told her, "We should check about any security cameras that the city or the houses around here have pointed to the street."

"We should go," Beckett replied. "Thank you for your cooperation," she said to Susannah as they walked past her.

"It wasn't a problem, listen, I'm holding a party next weekend, I'd love to extend an invitation to you both," Susannah told them, hesitating on the word both.

"We have plans," Beckett said before Castle could.

"She's right we have a couple friends coming in from the city, we're having an informal Christmas celebration with them," he explained.

"They could come as well," Susannah suggested.

"I don't think so, but thank you for the invite," Castle said as Beckett just turned and walked away and he hurried to follow her.

"Next time you come into my stables I'd prefer it if you didn't fuck your wife inside the stalls Richard," Susannah said harshly behind them.

"Keep walking, keep walking," Castle said, grabbing Beckett's arm before she could turn back around, seeing the way his wife's eyes were suddenly ablaze with anger. "Shouldn't have thrown that hay in your hair, sorry."

"Don't worry; I just got final confirmation that she's wildly jealous of me with that line," Beckett said, rolling her eyes. "But help me before we head into the station."

"If we go there," Castle said as they stopped next to the cruiser and he helped her pick out the strands of hay still in her hair. "Hey, what were you doing?" he said as Brad walked up to them then.

"Checking the perimeter again, Bernier said a neighbor had seen a car pulling away from the sidewalk back there," the chief said, pointing in the opposite direction. "But of course, we found out that was much later and it was the lawyer. Are you set?"

"We can head back to the station," Beckett said. "I think you're going to have to investigate the vic, the crime scene is clear."

"I thought so; but I was hoping you might manage to get something," Brad said with a sigh. They got into his cruiser then and he got them away from the ranch, heading for the station. "Alright, so did you read the report?" he asked once they were sitting in their chairs that were in front of his desk and he was behind it in his.

"I did in the car," Beckett said, handing it to her husband. "We were a little… occupied in the stable."

"She hit on you again?" Brad asked his friend.

"Ag- never mind," Beckett started to say, looking at her husband before she turned her attention back to the case. "It seems like a clear murder, a .45 to the chest, low angle trajectory so you were right in the fact that the killer was crouched on the floor."

"Yeah, I'm wondering why you asked us to help you," Castle said.

"Also because Susannah did," Brad pointed out. "But there's one thing you two should know about Antonio De Soto."

"Which is what?" Castle asked, looking over at his wife.

"He's been suspected of running drug shipments into town," Brad said. At their surprised looks he stood up and went to the door to close it, glancing around to make sure none of the other officers were around to hear him as he then said, "We've had some drug arrests lately, people possessing cocaine. It's been going on for a year and it's why the mayor gave me the authority to hire Kirby and Hutchinson."

"And you thought it was Antonio… but how?" Beckett asked.

"Have you ever seen horses being transported?" Brad pointed out.

"Do you have proof of that?" Castle asked as he and Beckett shared a look.

"We do," Brad said. He unlocked a drawer on his desk, and then pulled out some pictures before handing them to Beckett. "We found that hidden in the woods, right on the border of town, we're thinking the car towing that trailer broke down. They couldn't take the trailer with them, so they burned it."

Seeing a hidden compartment for drugs that was open, empty and charred, Beckett then asked, "Were they-"

"No, no one in the area was expecting horses," Brad said quickly. "That was my first thought, but we believe they used an empty trailer to make it easier to move around."

"But what did Antonio have to do with those?" Castle asked.

"That's why we were never able to arrest him," Brad said, sitting down with a sigh. "We never could connect him to those trailers as they even pulled off the license plates and any numbers to ID it to anyone were scratched off, or burned off."

"So they were thorough," Beckett said absently.

"What are you thinking?" Castle asked, studying his wife.

"You said that he had a cousin?" Beckett asked, turning to the chief.

"Yeah, it was a cousin, he's from Argentina as well," Brad said. "I spoke to him myself yesterday as he was leaving for where he works, the post office."

"The post office?" Castle asked, looking at Beckett.

"Would you mind escorting us there Chief?" she then said as him telling them where the man worked was an obvious invitation for them to invite themselves along.

At his title instead of his name, Brad stood up and said, "Alright, but please stay outside until I bring him with me."

"Where did you talk to him?" Castle asked.

"At his apartment, it was a Sunday yesterday remember," Brad said.

"Sometimes they can work on Sundays… what did he do?" Beckett asked.

"He… Hutchinson?" Brad said when the officer stepped in front of him.

"I thought you should know," she said. "I just got a call from the post office, Mr. Gaspara was fired Friday."

"Then he lied to me," Brad said grimly. "Did they tell you why?"

"He was consistently drunk and belligerent," Hutchinson said.

"Then I'll bring him in here for another talk," Brad said. Turning around he said, "Rick, Kate, for your safety-"

"We'll wait here," Beckett said. "But I'm going with you to interrogate him."

"I was going to ask," Brad replied with a brief smile before he left.

"I could use some coffee," Beckett said, turning to her husband.

"Of course," Castle said, knowing what she wanted to talk about. He went with her to the tiny break room where he'd gifted the Hamptons PD; and himself and Beckett; with a coffee machine, and proceeded to make them cups while she stood next to him. As he was starting to work, he could feel her eyes on him and soon said, "I didn't."

"You're sure," Beckett said.

"I think I'd remember if I slept with her," Castle said. "I met her for the first time at a party she held; it was my first time here in the Hamptons. And she supplied me steadily with drinks, so much so I'm surprised she didn't just drug me."

"So you resisted her?" Beckett asked, taking the cup he handed her and hoping her relief wasn't too audible.

"Not my type," Castle said. He glanced at his wife and when he saw that she was smiling a little he quickly told her, "She threw herself onto me literally, and I almost wasn't able to get away, being drunk I was a little slower than I normally am."

"So how did you get out of it?" Beckett asked.

"Someone rescued me," Castle said. "I became friends with them, and still am to this day."

"Who- David and Rebecca?" Beckett started to say before she realized who he was talking about. When he just smiled at her before he went to the table against the other side of the room, she said, "No wonder I never heard this story."

"Yeah, I think they realized you wouldn't really want to hear about that and I didn't think you would either," Castle replied as she sat next to him. "Mad at me?"

"No," Beckett said. "Because you were pretty freaked out when she came straight up to you. And I have to say again, her comment about us having sex in her stable shows her jealousy of me."

"Which you like knowing," Castle said teasingly.

"Of course, I bet you those women who ask you to sign their books now are feeling the same," Beckett said. When her husband looked at her in confusion, she said, "Not because of me, just because you're taken."

"Don't sell yourself short love," Castle said, keeping his voice down as they both tried to keep their endearments at their second job to a minimum. "Okay, so should we get back to the case?"

"We should, the drug angle I wasn't expecting," Beckett replied.

"Yeah," Castle said. When he heard a groan he looked at his wife and asked, "What is it?"

"I can literally see your mind working out a theory, so go ahead, tell me and I'll tell Brad if it's a good one," Beckett said, taking another sip of coffee.

"We've come across Argentinean drug dealers before in the past," Castle began, ignoring the smile on his wife's face as he spoke. "And dealers are always trying to think of new ways to stay ahead of the police, the feds."

"And they're using horse trailers for that," Beckett replied.

"So they plant Antonio here in the Hamptons to start dealing, but he turns on them, so they kill him," Castle said. He wasn't surprised to see his wife taken aback at that, and he said, "By having a pony shoot him."

Giving him a look, Beckett said, "I'm surprised, that's a reasonable theory. But…"

"Yeah, I know, I thought of the cousin too," Castle said. He was going to speak when Hutchinson came to the door. "Need us for something?" he asked.

"No, the chief just called, he said to let you know that the vic's cousin wasn't at his place, instead at his new job; at the Harper Ranch," Hutchinson told them.

"The ranch," Castle said, looking at his wife then. "So what if Antonio was shot by drug dealers-"

"And they're putting the cousin in his place. "Or…" she started to say.

"Or?" Castle asked.

"Or this cousin needs a place to deal, and he killed his cousin to have that job," Beckett finished.

"It would work, but why the hell would she hire someone who just got fired for drunkenness…" Castle started to say.

"Unless they're seeing each other," he and Beckett said.

"We've got a lot of questions for him," she said with a sigh. "But we should tell him to bring in Ms. Harper."

Following her to Hutchinson, Castle watched as the officer called in to Brad, letting him know that they wanted to talk to Susannah also.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Brad said.

"Why not?" Beckett asked, taking the walkie-talkie Hutchinson was using.

"Because I already asked her about the drugs," Brad said. "Long ago when we were first looking into this, years ago."

"Ah, so you forgot," Castle commented.

"Yeah, sorry about that, but she was never a suspect and she had no ties to those trailers," Brad replied.

"What about hiring Mr. Gaspara after he was fired for being drunk at work?" Beckett then asked.

"I'll ask her, but you two realize she wouldn't really tell me if she was sleeping with the guy," Brad said after a moment's pause.

"Just ask," Castle said before giving the walkie-talkie to Hutchinson. "Might take him a little longer to get back… Mother?"

"Martha?" Beckett asked in surprise, seeing her with Eliza through the window looking out into the lobby of the station. "Is she okay? Are you?" she asked as she and Castle rushed to go out to them.

"We're fine, Miss Eliza here wanted to see her parents," Martha replied. "And since Christine was at the coffee shop, she offered us a ride."

"How are you going to get back though?" Castle asked her as Beckett was picking their daughter up.

"She's gone down the street to a salon for some things, I'll give her a call," Martha replied. "Don't worry, I wasn't about to walk through the town in the cold with my granddaughter. So how are things coming along?"

"It's very early," Castle said as Beckett had walked away from them with Eliza.

"I just wanted to make sure I wasn't interrupting anything," Martha said as they watched Beckett pointing out the window as the toddler hugged her around the neck.

"No, we're waiting for Brad to get back," Castle said.

"Oh, that reminds me, did you head out to Harper Ranch?" Martha said. She held up her finger to her son before she then said, "And did she meet Susannah?"

"Yeah, luckily it didn't go worse than it did," Castle said. He quickly told her what had happened before Beckett was coming over to him. "She got tired of the view?" he asked.

"She wanted to come over here to you," Beckett said as she handed him their daughter.

"Are you at work?" Eliza asked.

"Yes, we're waiting for something right now," Castle told her. "But what do you think?"

Looking around the lobby of the two year old building of the Hamptons Police Department, Eliza said, "Pretty. Where do you work?"

"In there," Beckett said. "But we can't really take you back there since it's for the police."

"We're with the police," Castle said quickly before his mother could reply to that. He saw then that his wife was glancing over at the windows again and said, "He's back?"

"I just saw him pull around," Beckett replied.

"So I should call Christine I take it," Martha said, smiling to herself at the change in her son and daughter in law at what she guessed was the chief's arrival.

"We'll wait here with you," Beckett said as Eliza hugged Castle around the neck tightly.

"I hope now you'll have fun at home with your Gram," he was saying to the toddler as his mother was on the phone.

"Yeah, I wanna play with you," Eliza said. "And Mommy, please?"

"If it's not too late," Beckett replied as Martha walked over to the windows. She felt Eliza touching her arm and she reached over to her, taking her hand. "And remember when your Gram says it's time to take a nap, you need to."

"I know," Eliza sighed deeply. "When do I see Jules?"

"After your nap," Beckett replied. "Wow, that was fast," she said as she could see out in the parking lot a white Jaguar pull up. She paused for a moment and asked her mother in law, "How did you get her here without a car seat?"

"She had one in the back," Martha said calmly. When the two looked skeptical she said, "She does if you want to look."

"I think that's a yes," Castle said as Beckett went out the door. He followed her with Eliza and saying hello to his mother's friend he saw that there was a car seat in the back.

"My daughter was here with her son yesterday," the woman explained as Beckett sat next to the car seat and took Julia from her husband. "Martha almost refused to go until she saw it."

"I'm not surprised," Beckett said with a smile before she kissed Eliza gently. "We'll see you later sweetie."

"Kay, I like to see you and Daddy, Mommy," Eliza replied with a smile on her face. She shared a kiss with her father before he got back out of the car and she sighed as soon they were pulling away from the station.

"You'll see them soon darling," Martha assured her, reaching back and squeezing her leg. "For now we should think of something special to do for lunch," she said, relieved when Eliza stopped looking like she was going to start crying.

"Okay, so he was already at work, helping to move the horses that had been taken out of the stable back in," Brad was saying when he met Castle and Beckett in the lobby. "And he was pretty distraught when I told him I needed to talk to him again."

"Has he said anything?" Beckett asked.

"Just if we'd found his cousin's will," Brad said. At their suspicious looks he told them, "He said that there might have been someone in it that would be a suspect."

"You'll have to look into that after you talk to him," Castle said as they made their way to the interrogation room.

"We will. Ready?" the chief asked Beckett. At her nod he went inside first as she followed and once the door had closed; Castle waiting for them in the small observation room off it; he said, "Mr. Gaspara, this is my consultant Kate Beckett and we'd like to ask you a few questions about your cousin."

"Is something wrong Mr. Gaspara?" Beckett asked as the man looked to be cringing in his seat.

"Yeah, there is… you should know that… Antonio wasn't my cousin," Gaspara said.

"Then who was he to you?" Beckett said, sharing a surprised look with Brad.

"He was my brother," Gaspara said simply before burying his face into his hands.


	5. Laden With Sorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother written by Bobby Scott and Bob Russell, the version I've taken the lyric is from the single by The Justice Collective which is made up of musicians and celebrities (and one of those is Paul McCartney).

Looking into the room, Castle watched as Beckett set a cup of water in front of Gaspara, who was still covering his face with his hands. He glanced at Hutchinson who was with him saying, "Anything?"

"Not really, just that he came here at the same time as our vic," the officer said, handing him a file before she left him.

Before he could read what was in his hand, Castle heard his wife talking then, and he quickly looked up as the vic's brother replied.

"We always called each other cousin, but we knew we were brothers," Gaspara told them, taking a sip of water with shaking hands. "We had the same father, and he took us from our mothers when we were five to raise us in the family business."

"In Argentina," Brad said.

"A race track outside Buenos Aires," Gaspara said. "Our father never referred to us as brothers, and when his associates started to ask him about letting us go into their families, together, as a brother duo, we called each other cousin to keep us from leaving." He made a grimace of disgust then and said, "Not that it was much better there at the track."

"What do you mean by associates?" Beckett asked as soon as he stopped speaking.

"As in organized crime," Gaspara said. "My father's name was Afonso Montez and if you look him up you'll realize that he was investigated for setting up races to be paid by these families in the organized crime ring, illegal betting… allowing prostitution there during the races."

"And how is it that you and your brother managed to keep from being influenced by what was going on?" Beckett said.

"We were put to work in the stables," Gaspara answered. "Antonio… he loved horses, he wanted to be a jockey, but he was too tall. So he started to play polo in the team my father sponsored."

"And was that crooked as well?" Brad inquired.

"No, he actually respected the game and let it be as there wasn't any betting in that league," Gaspara replied. "But eventually my brother moved up in leagues and when he did…"

"Your father told him to throw matches?" Beckett guessed.

"Yes, and it was then we decided to leave. We were over twenty-one and we thought we would try to get to America and start over together here," Gaspara told them. "So we left one day, telling our father we were heading out to a field so he could practice and instead we caught a train and never saw him again."

"Is your father still alive?" Brad asked.

"No, our half sister now runs the track," Gaspara said. "Whether or not all that is going on again… you'd have to see, we never kept in touch with our family, as both our mothers passed away when we were still in Argentina."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Beckett said. "I'm wondering, you've recently acquired a new job."

"Yes, I… have a problem with drinking, but with the second chance I got from Ms. Harper, I'm going to need to try and get myself back to how I was," Gaspara replied.

The chief was about to ask something when Beckett suddenly said, "Are you any good with horses?"

"Oh no," Gaspara answered immediately. "I'm actually a little scared of them, I was kicked when I was six, here," he said, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt. There was a curved scar on the underside of his forearm and he said, "I didn't listen to my brother who told me to never to get behind the horses and as I was spreading out the hay on the bottom of one of their stalls it kicked me. It wasn't easy after that to work in the stables, but I had to. Though my father was angry at the way I'd make them nervous, because I was myself of course."

"And your relationship with your brother?" Brad asked, glancing at Beckett.

"We were close, so…" Gaspara said.

"What about your brother's will you mentioned to the Chief?" Beckett then said.

"He had money that he brought from Argentina and what he saved teaching people to play polo and ride horses," Gaspara said quickly. "Also his job at the ranch where I work now. But he told me that I needed to find the will he had in his apartment because there was a paper there that I needed to present to our sister. If I had that paper, I would be allowed to take over the track."

"Why would you want to? It sounds pretty corrupted there to me," Brad said in response to that, sharing a quick look with Beckett.

"To fix it," Gaspara said. "That's been a dream of ours."

"Why you and not your brother?" Beckett asked.

"Because he loved the horses, I liked the… _grandeza_?" Gaspara asked.

"Grandeur," Beckett translated.

"That, of the races," Gaspara said.

"So you think someone could have come to kill your brother to find this paper," Brad inquired.

"Yes, my father had willed the track to me, but so long as I went back to Argentina," Gaspara said. "And only if I had that paper."

"Your sister orchestrated this," Beckett then said as a suggestion. When Gaspara nodded she said, "For what reason?"

"Well, I just said that he got a lot of money from his secret dealings there," Gaspara replied. "So if she lost the track, she'd lose a lot of money."

"What's her name?" Brad asked.

"Carolina Portera," Gaspara said quickly.

"Where were you between twelve and one yesterday?" Beckett asked then.

"In the afternoon?" Gaspara asked instead of replying. "I was in my apartment; my neighbor came over and was yelling at me to turn down the music. You can ask." He then let out a sigh and said, "I just wish that I'd known what was happening to him."

"Stay here please," Brad said before he and Beckett left. "Well?"

"Any interesting story," Castle said as they'd joined him in observation. He looked at his wife and asked, "You don't believe him?"

"I'm not sure," Beckett said, frowning slightly. "It seems too…"

"Like it was just a story," Castle said. "Well, did you find anything in the vic's background to substantiate that?" he directed to the chief.

"Just that his father's name is Afonso Montez, but I wasn't able to get much more than that," Brad said. "I need to put him into holding after I ask him about the cocaine coming in here. Do you two think you can start looking into the father?"

"After we hear what he says to that," Beckett answered before Castle could. She watched with him as their friend went back into the room with Gaspara and she said, "It sounds like something you'd make up."

"Yeah, complete with the scar from a horse," Castle commented.

"I have one last question Mr. Gaspara," Brad was saying in the room. "I've had a hard time for the past year or so, dealing with cocaine being brought into town. Your brother was a suspect very high on my list of possible dealers or distributors. Are you aware of him being involved in anything dealing with that at all?"

"Drugs?" Gaspara said, his lip turning up in a scowl. "We saw plenty of that at the track, and they made you weak, unable to keep your senses about you. Antonio needed that for his dealings with the horses, and when he played games too. He wouldn't touch anything that was passed around the track."

"What about you?" Beckett whispered.

"And what about you," Brad said, unknowingly echoing her.

"No, the same, though I do smoke cigarettes," Gaspara said.

"And you're working now at a horse ranch?" Brad asked.

"I wondered why you didn't ask that," Castle said hurriedly to his wife.

"Yes, she was kind enough to give me the job at my brother's request," Gaspara said. "All I have to do is feed and water them; what I would do mostly back in Argentina."

"Alright, I'll be looking into your alibi, so until we can clear you I'll be placing you into holding…" Brad was saying as Castle and Beckett left observation.

"I didn't ask that because I don't think I would have kept my skepticism at bay enough for him to give an honest answer," Beckett was telling her husband as they went into the chief's office, sitting at their chairs in front of it.

"You believe him?" Castle asked.

"I do, feeding and watering them is a good job for someone terrified of horses," Beckett replied as she placed her dialing phone on speaker.

"Beckett, hey," Esposito said on the other end. "On a case?"

"We are, and you know which one already," Beckett replied. "Castle's here with me."

"So is Ryan," Esposito said. "So what do you need?"

"A search of four names," Beckett said before she gave the names of their vic, his brother, their sister and father.

"I'll get right on it, we just finished up paperwork on a case," Ryan was telling them.

"Anything lately?" Castle then asked.

"Same as we always tell you, no," Ryan said.

"He's right, we're keeping an eye out like we told you we would, but we've got nothing," Esposito replied.

"Thanks for looking out for us," Beckett said. "And you're coming next weekend with Lanie right?"

There was such a long pause at that Castle and Beckett nearly asked their friend if he was still there when Esposito said, "I'll need to see, I might visit my mom so I'll let you know. Listen, I need to go, I can see Gates talking with Ryan, I better help him out."

"Right, we'll talk later Javi," Beckett said. She and Castle both said goodbye before she looked at him.

"They're still fighting," he said first.

"She's going to put her foot down soon I'm sure," Beckett sighed. "And he's not going to want the same as she does."

"You're so sure?" Castle asked, though he already knew the answer to that himself.

"She's tired of the casual relationship they have," Beckett replied. "She wants a family and if he doesn't want the same, she'll let him go. Believe me, she won't do that easily but she doesn't want to spend the rest of her life just hooking up with him every once in a while."

Nodding at that, Castle saw that Brad was coming over to them and said, "It'll be interesting to see if we have them both over, or just one. Or none."

"I hope not," Beckett said in a rush. "The girls would like to see Lanie at least."

"I remember," Castle replied. "So," he said as Brad walked into the office.

"Well, his alibi checks out, his neighbor went to his apartment, banging on the door to get him to shut off his music. The landlord had to calm both men down eventually as it was causing a scene and other tenants were starting to get angry," Brad replied. "So they stopped and that was the end of that, but it was at our time of death."

"I called Esposito," Beckett said. "And they'll be e-mailing us anything they find." She watched the chief go to his desk and look at his computer before she asked, "Is it that bad?"

"The way things are going, we're at zero," Brad said. "And if this has to deal with the sister in Argentina, then the case is going to likely have to be given to the FBI, you know we don't have those kinds of resources here."

"It will, but that's if the sister needs to be extradited here," Beckett said. "If the killer is still here-"

"Then we can find him and put him in jail ourselves," Castle finished for her.

"That's a pretty big if you two," Brad said, sitting down heavily in his chair. He rubbed his face and was about to speak when the phone on his desk rang. "Oh, fantastic," he said sarcastically before picking up the receiver. "Mayor Bolden… yes, I'm aware you wanted an update at eleven… no, nothing yet… they're helping me with the case sir I… yes, at one I'll call, alright, goodbye."

"What, he wants us out now?" Castle asked.

"No, it looks like a rumor's gone around that this is about horses, people who own ranches have been calling the mayor, demanding he find the killer," Brad said. "So we need to work a little more at this or else I'm going to be in trouble."

"They e-mailed?" Beckett said when the chief looked twice at his screen. When he simply nodded, she got her phone out as he was forwarding the message to her. "That was fast," she said, seeing the first page was on the sister. "So she's thirty-nine," she read as she could feel Castle trying to look over her shoulder. "She's been investigated for what's purported to be going on around-"

"Hold on Beckett, I'll get this printed out so we can all see," Brad said, having looked up and seen the way Castle was leaning towards his wife. He grabbed the copies from the printer behind him, handing two of the three sets to them.

"Nothing was able to be proved, but the Argentinean police are keeping a tight watch on her," Castle said. "Looks like she's moved on to fixing races by…"

"Yeah, I saw," Beckett replied, her voice tight with anger. "She's believed to have associates drugging the horses before the races. But she has no ties to the US; Espo must have called the FBI after he got this."

"We'll have to get him something really nice for Christmas," Castle said absently, reading next about the vic's father. "Doesn't look like the father had much connection to the US."

"More than likely why the brothers decided to head up here," Brad commented.

"I wonder; if the sister is involved; how she found them," Beckett said. "How popular was Antonio in the polo circuit?" she directed to her husband.

"Here… I think he was exclusive to the Hamptons, well, to Long Island really," Castle said.

"So he was being careful to stay hidden," Brad said. "But I'm wondering if you two noticed something."

"We got that already actually," Beckett said, glancing at her husband.

"Yeah, once we saw Gaspara; Antonio could have been mistaken for him," Castle said; having had that same thought though he and his wife hadn't spoken about it.

"Their forms were similar and with the killer looking up, he might not have realized that it wasn't Gaspara," Beckett said. "Plus, there's the fact-"

"That Gaspara was supposed to start working there at the ranch," Castle said. "So the killer went there thinking it would be an easy kill, he just didn't know the day Gaspara was supposed to start working there."

"Chief?" Hutchinson said, standing in the doorway. "The financial records of the vic."

"Thank you," Brad said, taking the file. He looked at the paper inside and frowned before going onto his computer. "There was a large amount of money; about nine thousand; that he wrote a check for to an account," he said.

"When?" Beckett said, standing up with her husband and going around to look at the screen.

"Last week," Brad told her absently.

"Whose is it?" Castle said as he saw the information pop up after the chief had typed out the number.

"It belongs to a Nesta Seymour," Brad read.

"And you know her," Beckett said, wondering at his hesitation.

"Yeah, I know her," Brad replied with a humorless laugh. "She's my neighbor, and she's married; expecting a baby."

* * *

"Not sure why I'm here Brad," Castle was saying as he walked with Beckett behind the chief down the street to the Fern and Seymour house.

"I want to put her at ease," Brad replied simply. "And she knows who you two are; you met her last year of course."

"That was a while ago, and it was briefly," Castle said. But when there was no response to that he looked at his wife who shrugged. "I'm still sticking by my theory you know, both of you," he then announced. There was no response then either, and he finally said, "Can anyone hear me?"

"We heard you in the car, Castle," Beckett said simply. "And we don't know if they were lovers."

"They have to be, and I bet you anything that this baby is his," he replied.

"Now you might be reaching man," Brad said, looking back at him. By then they were walking up the path to the front door and he knocked, looking through the crack that appeared when an older woman opened it. "Good afternoon ma'am," he said. "I'm Chief Davis from the Hamptons police; I'd like to speak with Ms. Seymour if-"

"She's at the hospital," the woman said bitterly.

"Is she alright?" Castle asked.

"The whore is having her lover's baby," the woman said tersely before slamming the door on them.

"So," Castle said, first to speak as they looked at the front door. "You were saying something about reaching?"

"Come on," Brad said, shaking his head. He led the way to back to his cruiser saying, "Her husband will be with her, we need to talk to him now with this angle."

"He finds out about that money," Castle said. "And he figures out that his wife's baby isn't his, so-"

"He kills him for revenge. But how could he have found out about the account?" Beckett said. "She had a PO box."

"Post office might have made a mistake," Brad said. "The postmaster lives across the street and two doors down from them, I bet you anything they had no idea the box was supposed to have been secret."

"So he brought her that check or a bank statement for the account," Castle said as they followed the chief across the street instead of going to his car. "He wouldn't be at home?" he asked.

"She. And she's got the day off to care for her daughter when I called about Gaspara; they told me," Brad explained. He went to the front door and after knocking said, "Jaime, hey," as the woman opened the door. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I just need to ask a question."

"Of course Chief… is something wrong?" she asked, looking at Castle and Beckett.

"I'm wondering, you know Nesta right?" Brad asked. When Jaime nodded he asked, "Did she have a PO box? This is pertaining to a case."

"We're not about to divulge any information to anyone not affiliated with the investigation," Beckett said quickly as the postmaster looked at them again.

"Well… if you have to know, she did, I brought her what was in it when she got later in her pregnancy and she had to go on bed rest," Jaime said. "She's had a difficult time, nearly lost the baby you know."

"We didn't," Brad said, glancing back at Castle and Beckett at that.

"Do you remember what she received?" Castle asked her.

"Well, there was something from her bank and besides that just handwritten letters," Jaime replied. "She was very happy seeing those but if you're wondering who sent them there were never any return addresses."

"What about the postmark?" Beckett inquired.

"It said Hamptons, so it was mailed here in the city, the day before," Jaime said.

"Thank you Jaime, we appreciate your help," Brad said. After the woman had murmured something to him he left with Castle and Beckett and told them, "So we might have to switch to the idea of the husband."

"How bad had their relationship gotten?" Beckett asked as they got into the cruiser.

"Fairly bad, Lily would hear them arguing every once in a while in the backyard," Brad said. "A few times she sent me over to their house to see if Nesta was okay, as she was afraid she was being abused."

"And was she?" Castle asked, sharing a glance with his wife when his friend didn't say anything else.

"No, she was fine, it was just arguing," Brad replied. "I tried to talk to her, to tell her to get out of there but she stayed."

"I'm wondering," Beckett said. "If it wasn't an affair like you said Castle."

"No? Oh, no, you're right," he said as she looked back at him and he then instantly realized what she was trying to say. "It could have been a fling and she got pregnant because of it."

"Did she ride horses?" Beckett asked the chief.

"She played polo," Brad told them then. "And now that I'm remembering, the horses her team used were from Harper Ranch and since it was a beginner's team…"

"Antonio instructed the women… more than one woman? On the team," Castle said.

"It was a woman's league," Brad confirmed. "Lily used to joke with me that she would take up polo; after you told her about it Beckett; to join that team."

"Yeah, everyone called him the Argentinean Brad Pitt," Castle said from the back. "I have to wonder how many other lovers he had."

"Who knows," Brad said. "I'll have to contact Kirby, get him on it."

After the chief had called that in to his officer, they arrived at the hospital, and headed up to the maternity ward and the nurse's station.

"Not many kids being born today," Castle commented, looking at the nearly empty waiting room. There was only one man sitting there, his face in his hands, and he frowned, wondering why he looked so familiar.

"That's her husband," Brad suddenly said in a low tone of voice. "She's in delivery right now."

"Is she having a hard time?" Beckett asked. When he nodded she inwardly winced but said, "Probably better he's not with her right now."

"Now I know where I recognize him," Castle said suddenly, getting their attention. "Sorry, I know him; he plays on the third division team. Let me talk to him Brad."

"Castle, you-" Beckett started to say.

"He's a friendly guy… on the field, we've had a few jokes together, had a drink together too, he might trust me Beckett," Castle told her seriously. "And Chief, you're in uniform."

"And you just called me chief…" Brad said. "Beckett?"

"Yes, go, just be careful," she said in slight exasperation.

"Oh come on, just for a brief chat between sometime competitors?" Castle said. "Don't worry love."

Shaking her head at that, Beckett was a little surprised when Brad took her by the elbow, steering her over to the coffee machine and water cooler further away from the two men. "I wasn't going to outright stare at them," she protested as she knew why he'd done that.

"No, but I want to be careful," Brad replied, glancing over at them.

"I think it'd be better if I was the one looking over every once in a while," Beckett said, stepping around him to go to the water cooler. When she had done that she saw that Castle had managed to lead Mr. Fern over to the windows and was talking to him seriously. There was something about the situation she couldn't like, some gut instinct about the man's stance that was telling her to keep a closer eye on her husband even as she was turning away again.

"Yeah, I heard, and I'm so sorry Alan," Castle was saying as the man had told him about his wife cheating. "What will you do?"

"She's already filed for a divorce, last week when she got all that money from her lover," Fern said through clenched teeth. "So I'll have to pay alimony for the baby that I had nothing to do with."

"What about her lover?" Castle asked. "Do you know who he is?"

"That polo instructor and you knew that already," Fern nearly growled to him. "Why the hell are you even talking to me any…" he stopped and looked over at the chief who was talking with Beckett. "I heard the son of a bitch got shot; do you think I did it? You think I'd kill him for what? My wife and bastard kid?"

"Hey, it's just a baby, probably not even born yet Alan," Castle said a little offended at his cursing them.

"So you're taking her side," Fern said.

"I'm not taking anyone's side except the baby and the victim of the cri-" Castle started to say before he was suddenly slugged in the jaw with Fern's fist. He staggered back against the wall, but luckily managed to see the man trying to set up for another hit when he leaned down, running into him. They made it to the chairs nearest to them and both fell down, the clatter of them hitting each other covering the sound of Brad and Beckett yelling at Fern to stop.

Grabbing the man by the collar of his jacket, Beckett managed to start getting him off her husband before Brad was there to help drag him the rest of the way.

"You're under arrest Alan!" the chief was saying as he got Fern on the ground and was handcuffing him. "For assault. Never mind you being a suspect in the murder of Antonio De Soto."

"Are you okay?" Beckett asked, helping Castle up.

"Yeah, the running tackle backwards was cool right?" he asked as she touched his jaw. "Especially with the chairs being knocked over."

"I was more worried for your safety," Beckett said wryly before she sighed and shook her head.

"Bruise?" Castle asked, guessing one looked like it was going to start forming. When she nodded he swore under his breath before a nurse came over. "Thanks," he said as she handed him an icepack wrapped in a paper towel.

"Did you hit your head or have any other injuries Mr. Castle?" the woman asked.

"No, I'm good," he replied. "I need to go… I can take this right?" Castle said then as he gestured to the icepack.

"Go ahead," the nurse told him, waving her hand.

"Can you two get back?" Brad said. "I don't want you two going in the car with him," nodding to the man who was looking like he could jump at them again.

"We'll get a cab," Beckett assured him. She dialed the number she had for the company in town on her phone; since it wasn't the first time they'd needed to let the chief escort a suspect in on his own; and she walked with Castle after Brad and Fern.

Outside; and once he had their suspect in the car; the chief turned to the two saying, "Ms. Seymour was just about to give birth when we came in. Considering how Lily was after nearly twelve hours with Eve, I don't think she'll be up to talking until maybe tomorrow morning."

"Most likely," Beckett said. "Are you suspecting her being part of the murder?"

"Not with that arguing they were doing," Brad said, looking through the window at Fern. "Are you going to press charges?"

"I'll need to," Castle said. "He already hates the baby that hasn't been born… or is being born right now. I want that on his record; just in case."

"See you two at the station, I'll be looking into him before you come," Brad said. He opened the door of the car when Fern suddenly started to yell.

"Dr. Hatton! Dr. Hatton, Chief!" he said repeatedly.

"Dr. Hatton, what?" Brad asked as Castle and Beckett stepped closer behind him.

"I was with him yesterday morning, that's when he got shot isn't it?" Fern asked.

When Castle and Beckett looked at him, Brad filled them in saying, "The _Report_."

"I remember reading that," Beckett said. "How long was your appointment?"

"From ten to twelve… I'm going through therapy for… this," Fern replied, nodding with his head to the hospital.

Closing the door after he'd made sure his shotgun was locked, Brad said, "So I'll get started on that and if it checks out… I'll ask him some questions, or we will if you're with me."

"So then we're back to the family in Argentina," Castle said.

"We'll get to that when we need to," Brad replied before he left them to get into the cruiser. "And I'll get the charges started."

"We'll meet you there," Beckett said before the chief got inside and drove off. "Two angles," she said, turning to her husband. She took his hand then, making him pull off the icepack and she shook her head when she looked at him.

"We can tell them… something," Castle said, knowing there was a bruise. "You were beating up a punching bag and nailed me instead."

Giving him a look, Beckett went past him to the cab, pulling up to her as she'd told the company she was wearing a red coat. "We'll handle it when we need to," she said simply, taking his hand and bringing him with her into the back of the taxi.

* * *

"Thank you, goodbye," Brad was saying as he hung up the phone with Dr. Hatton's secretary. "That confirms it," he told Castle and Beckett who were in his office with him. "So it's not Fern."

"We should ask him," Beckett said, stopping her pacing during the phone call to stand behind her husband. "What he knows about Antonio."

"He might not know besides competing with him on the field," Brad told her. "It would be better if we talked to Nesta."

"She's saying that in the sense of him knowing anyone who might want Antonio dead; another woman or another husband," Castle explained.

"Alright, you both can come with me," Brad said. "But first let me see what Kirby's found."

"Hey Chief," the officer said. "I got a hold of passenger lists for planes coming from Argentina. But I couldn't find anyone associated with the race track."

"Anyone suspicious?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah, there's a guy who flew using the name Alfredo Moreno," Kirby replied. "The problem is, that name doesn't exist for anyone alive right now in Argentina."

"Who discovered that?" Castle asked.

"The FBI, they're looking into drugs coming from there and they caught this guy," Kirby said. "They trailed him but lost him in the city."

"When did he get here?" Castle said.

"Two days ago," Kirby replied. "I have an APB ready if you want me to send it out chief."

"Go ahead and make sure you send that to all the airports and train stations," Brad replied, looking at the picture of the man with the false name. "Have you guys seen him around?"

"We haven't been out much before yesterday," Beckett replied, shaking her head as Castle was doing the same.

"I think we'd remember him," Castle said, nodding with his head towards the picture.

"Yeah, me too," Brad commented as the man had a haircut that would make him stand out. He handed the paper back to the officer and then went down the hall off the bull pen to holding.

Walking behind him, Castle and Beckett saw their friend freeze before he was suddenly yelling, "Call the paramedics!" before running, unlocking the cell where Fern was laying in the middle of the floor, blood streaming from the inside of his wrists. They ran after him and Beckett went to help Brad try to staunch the wound on his left wrist.

Staying where they were, the three didn't move until the EMTs had arrived and had taken Fern with them to the hospital. While the chief went with the ambulance, Castle and Beckett went over to Hutchinson, since she'd been the last one to check on Fern.

"I think I know why he did that," the officer said, looking a little shaken. "I was on the phone to the hospital while you were with the chief on the phone. I said aloud that his wife had had a boy and they were doing fine."

"It could have just been the fact he was likely going to jail," Beckett said to reassure the woman. "You can't know the reason."

Nodding for a moment, Hutchinson said, "I was able to look into any possible guns owned by Mr. Fern, but there were none registered."

"You think someone would want to frame him?" Castle asked his wife. "And had stolen an unregistered weapon he had?"

"Not really," Beckett said. "Because if he was being framed-"

"The gun would be registered," Castle replied with a nod.

"I think we should head back to the ranch," Beckett said then. When her husband looked at her with wide eyes she said with a slight smile, "Looking into it by seeing if Antonio taught polo through Ms. Harper."

"And how do you want to do that? You know she's not going to want to talk to us," Castle said as he followed Beckett back to the chief's office. "Not after this morning."

"The site for it," she said simply.

"And you're so sure she has a site?" Castle asked as he stood behind her.

"She does," Beckett replied as she opened it. She looked over the options on the site, trying to find any mention of the vic. But when she didn't see his name once she leaned back in the chair and watched as her husband leaned over, going to a search engine. "Didn't Brad do that already?"

"Not that I know of," Castle said. "And you know the FBI isn't going to look into that kind of thing. Okay, here we go… he has an ad in the yellow pages," he told Beckett as he opened the ad. "I see, he has an e-mail here," he read. "You should tell one of them to look at it."

"You could too," Beckett said as she stood up once he got out of her way.

"They like you better," Castle said jokingly before she left the office. He looked at the ad again before he left the desk, going to the doorway and seeing that his wife was talking to Kirby. "Well?"

"Well what? They'll look into it," Beckett replied. She looked at her watch and then said, "Should we try to eat lunch?"

"Is it going to take a while?" Castle asked instead of answering.

"Most likely," Beckett said. "His e-mail has a folder; he's going to weed out the female clients from the male ones."

"What if it was a male client that got jealous?" Castle asked.

"They're going to work on searching everyone," Beckett replied as she put on her coat. "We can help them coming back, let's go."

"Are you that hungry?" Castle said in surprise as he put on his coat before tucking his scarf into it once it was around his neck.

"Slightly," Beckett said with a sigh. "We should eat something, since things might go on for a while today."

"Yeah, this is a bizarre case with these two different possible motives," Castle mused as he took her hand as soon as they'd gotten to the sidewalk in front of the station.

"How're you feeling?" Beckett asked, though her tone was a little absent as she was studying his jaw.

"You're very much the mother now you know," Castle said. When he saw the look she was giving him he then blanched slightly saying, "But still have the detective in there too, which is what I'm seeing right now."

Shaking her head, Beckett couldn't help smiling before she looked at her watch and saw the time. She was going to speak when her husband beat her to it as they neared the café where they'd eaten many times before while working on cases.

"Is it too late to call them?" Castle asked.

"No, we have time, but we should stay out here," Beckett told him.

"Why, oh," Castle began before he looked inside, seeing the lunch rush.

Dialing Martha's number, Beckett smiled when Eliza answered with an exuberant hello and she and Castle both said hello back. "How are you sweetie?" she asked.

"I am playing with Gram," Eliza replied, obviously smiling. "Books and toys."

"We did some of her puzzles," Martha said. "And played her memory game twice."

"How'd she do?" Castle asked.

"Very well," Martha replied. "Now we're having a lunch in the dining room, since I promised my granddaughter a special meal."

"You're lucky sweetie," Beckett said, sharing a smile with her husband.

"Yeah, Gram let me put. Will you come?" Eliza asked.

"We will," Beckett replied. "As soon as we can."

"Kay, I have to go, bye," Eliza said suddenly.

"Bye," Castle and Beckett said at the same time though they both looked slightly perplexed.

"She's putting the napkins on the table now," Martha explained. "So how goes the case?"

"This is a difficult one," Castle told her. "But we're doing our best to get as much done today as we can."

"Oh I know, just let me know when you're coming back," Martha replied easily.

"We will, but actually we'll text you," Beckett said, looking into her husband's eyes as she said that. "So we can surprise the girls; if it's not too late."

"I'm sure they'll love you doing that," Martha said in amusement. "I'll let you go now, Eliza's calling me."

After saying goodbye to his mother Castle said, "You know we can't really surprise them."

"We can," Beckett said with a smile. "They'll watch us in the front; we can come from the garage. That's how Alexis was when she was little right?"

"Very attached?" Castle asked her. When she nodded he said, "Yeah, they're the same as she was. Speaking of Alexis, we really should call her."

"The girls know she won't be busy tonight," Beckett said as they stepped into the café, the line having shortened slightly during their conversation. "So they'll make sure we do."

"Great," Castle said as they waited to order. "While we eat, mind if we discuss our plans for this month?"

Smiling, Beckett nodded before she felt his hand taking hers, and she took the chance to squeeze it back before a mutual friend called to them and they let go of one another reluctantly to talk with the man.

* * *

"Hey Brad, we brought everyone lunch," Castle said as he entered the bull pen. "Including you, so while you eat you can fill us in."

"Who's us?" the chief asked slightly jokingly as Beckett wasn't with him.

"She'll be with us in a second," Castle replied as the other officers took their sandwiches he'd brought in.

"Then I'll wait for her," Brad said. "And I'm starving so…"

"How is he?" Castle asked as they went into his office, sitting down on either side of the desk.

Holding up his finger as he was taking a bite, Brad watched as his friend's wife walked up to the room, with her coat in hand. He was about to speak when she beat him to it as soon as she got past the doorway.

"How is he?" Beckett said.

"Your husband just said the same thing," Brad replied in slight amusement. He then became serious and said, "He's fine, but with both wrists he ended up needing twenty four stitches. They said it was amazing he didn't just bleed out; he was lucky we were able to stem the blood. You okay?"

"I've been around people attempting suicide before," Beckett said simply. "Could you talk to him at all?"

"A little when they were pushing him into the hospital," Brad replied. "He said he didn't want to go through the divorce, didn't want everyone to know that it took his wife's lover for her to get pregnant."

"Was it widely known already that she had an affair?" Castle asked.

"No, it wouldn't have come out until the divorce, if it even had," Brad said, shaking his head. "I asked him what he knew about the affair before that bank statement and letter, but he said he hadn't known before."

"And Ms. Seymour?" Beckett inquired curiously.

"She was sleeping when I went up to the maternity ward," the chief replied. "And they said that she was suffering from fatigue and a little blood loss; nothing serious; so we probably won't be able to talk to her until tomorrow."

"I feel like I should get the murder board in here," Castle said.

"Go ahead," Beckett said. "We can't do much while he's eating."

Looking at her, but not really with any annoyance as he knew she was kidding, Brad said, "Yeah, you might as well."

Standing up from her chair once Castle came back with the whiteboard, Beckett took the marker and grabbed the pictures they had to put them up first. She started filling out the suspect list before letting her husband fill out the timeline they had, which was soon finished. "A number of suspects, but all of them have alibis," she commented. "What about showing Gaspara the picture of Moreno from Argentina?" she asked the chief who was drinking some water.

"Yeah, Enos went out to him at the stables-" Brad began.

"He went back to the stables?" Castle asked in surprise.

"He needs the money until he can find that paper," Brad said. "Oh, Bernier went to his apartment with a CSU unit after the stables were cleaned up."

"Was it broken into?" Castle asked.

"No, but I didn't want to take the risk of missing something on this one," Brad replied, gathering up the wrappers for both halves of the sandwich. "But they didn't really find anything. And Bernier looked for the will and he found it."

"And the paper for Gaspara?" Beckett said.

"It was there… and it wasn't," Brad said. He wasn't surprised when the two looked a little impatient at that, and he continued telling them, "It was the top half."

"Of course," Beckett said. "Did he have a lawyer?"

"A safety deposit box?" Castle suggested.

"If he did we don't know where it is," Brad said.

"Were there lockers at the Harper Ranch?" Beckett then said.

"You think he might have left something there," the chief said. At her nod he then thought for a moment and went out calling, "Enos!"

"Good call," Castle told his wife.

"It's a guess," Beckett replied, shrugging. "If there's anything there, it might be a key to a box." At that a sudden look of realization appeared on her face and she and Castle suddenly said together, "A PO box."

"A what?" Brad asked as he came into the room to partially hear them.

"A PO box, if Ms. Seymour had one-" Beckett began.

"Then Antonio could have too, but for business… or even to communicate with her," Castle finished.

"You'd have to hope that the employees could remember what he got though," Beckett replied.

"And you can look at what's come in today, could see if there's anything suspicious," Castle added. He wasn't surprised when Brad turned and left and he could hear him talking to an officer. When the chief came back he was surprised to see a paper in his hand which he handed to Beckett.

"This is the client list?" she asked, seeing it was a list of names with e-mail addresses after them.

"The ones that either e-mailed him continuously or were more recent; within five months," Brad said. "I saw what you two found; thank you; and Hutchinson culled those from what she got."

"I take it we're looking through them?" Castle said as he looked at the fifteen or so names.

"If you don't mind," Brad told them. "I need to call the mayor."

At that Beckett left the office with her husband behind her, sitting at the spare desk and computer of a former officer. She began to search from the top down as Castle sitting next to her was looking from the bottom up. She came to the middle name after searching without much success, and she paused. "Did you see this one?" she asked.

"Yeah," Castle said with a frown. But before he could say anything else, Brad came out to them and he asked, "How'd it go?"

The chief replied quickly, "The mayor had something to say about what happened with Fern."

"Bad or good?" Castle asked him, studying his friend's expression to try and tell.

"He commended us for saving Fern's life," Brad said.

"What did you tell him about Fern being a suspect?" Beckett asked him.

"That he had been, we cleared him but before we could tell him that he'd cut his wrists," Brad replied.

"Wait, how the hell did he do that, didn't you search him?" Castle asked.

"He used the bolts on the leg of the bench," the chief said, looking solemn then. "We got it on the security footage, and he had lain down on the floor, and kept cutting until he broke the skin."

"So he was that desperate," Beckett said. She sighed and said, "When she's able to talk, would you allow me to speak with Ms. Seymour myself?"

"She might not speak to you Beckett," Brad told her.

"You've told me that many times before Chief, I'm aware of it," she replied easily. "But I'd like to insist."

"Are you going to try an angle with shared motherhood?" Castle inquired of his wife interestedly.

"No, I'll be talking to her as a non-judgmental investigator," Beckett said simply.

"That might work," Brad said. He let out a sigh before he said, "At least I'm hoping it does because we're at a standstill with Argentina."

"You never told us what Gaspara said about Moreno," Castle reminded him.

"He didn't recognize him," Brad said. "What about that list."

"Did you see the name underneath?" Castle asked his wife then.

"Under the one I saw?" Beckett said. When he nodded she gave a very brief nod to him before she turned to the chief. "We didn't find anyone before you came out here, and we have two names left."

"Okay, and what's so special about these two?" Brad asked.

"We know them both," Castle replied. "And both of them know us," he said.

"So you can interview them," Brad stated, wondering at their reactions.

"Actually, I think you should take these on your own," Beckett replied, handing him with the names Fiona Jacks and Lucas Brogan on them. "Since they've tried to come on to us both in the past, and our rejections of them were taken more than a little badly. And we know now why they took those lessons, because-"

"They were trying to get close to us," Castle continued for her. "And they easily could have started something with the vic-"

"And another rejection might have pushed them over the edge," Beckett said.

"They could have been that violent," Brad asked in slight surprise.

"Considering the way they reacted to us…" Castle began. He and Beckett exchanged a look before they turned to the chief and said simply as one, "Yes."


	6. Light Of The Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song When the Night by Paul and Linda McCartney, from the Paul McCartney and Wings album Red Rose Speedway.

Looking up at her sister, Eliza listened to her humming and said, "What if Mommy and Daddy come?"

"Do you want me to stop?" Julia asked, unable to help smile at how serious her tone had been.

"Yeah, I wanna see," Eliza replied.

"I hope they do come," Julia said under her breath. She had been surprised when their grandmother had told them their parents were coming home, since she'd just barely gotten home from dance class and was about to start her homework. It was then that she heard the sound of a car on the driveway and her little sister started to cry out happily.

"There!" Eliza said as the car passed them. "Open the door!" she cried to her sister.

"I can't, we'll get in trouble," Julia said, not surprised when Eliza jumped up and down to try and reach the doorknob. But it was too tall for her, so she then pressed up against the window with the toddler saying, "They went to the garage, maybe it's gonna snow."

"Will I play?" Eliza asked, looking up at her.

"I don't know," Julia said. "It depends on if it's cold."

"Do they come here?" Eliza said then, frowning as they looked back out the window. When she saw no sign of their parents she was about to ask her sister to open the door when she was suddenly letting out a short scream as she was picked up. She saw quickly that it was her father, so she turned in his arms crying, "You came!"

"Yes, we decided to see if we could surprise you," Castle said with a laugh as the toddler was kissing his cheek, hugging him tightly.

"I think we managed to," Beckett said, smiling as she was hugging Julia to her. "I'm surprised they didn't try to go out," she said as she looked at Castle's mother who was walking down the hall to them.

"So am I, but Eliza was asking her sister to open the door," Martha replied.

"Daddy, this?" the toddler then said, almost touching Castle's jaw where his bruise had gotten darker.

"It's okay, I was a little bit of a klutz," he replied. "But I'm fine, it doesn't hurt." He had to quickly grab Eliza's hand and said, "Unless you touch it."

"He's alright," Beckett told the girls when they looked to her. "Come here sweetie," she said, holding her arms out to the toddler.

"How come you came back so soon?" Julia asked as she hugged her father then.

"What you want us to leave?" Castle asked jokingly.

"No! But you don't come until it's starting to get dark now," Julia replied.

"We did as much work as we could with the case today," Beckett said. "So we could leave early."

"Does it snow now?" Eliza asked hopefully.

"Let's get some cider," Castle said quickly since they were still standing in the entry. "They didn't have a snack yet did they?"

"No, no, you texted me before I could get it," Martha replied as she followed them to the kitchen.

"Okay, so about that snow, the clouds are looking pretty dark, so it might snow like it did last night," Castle replied.

"Could we play in it?" Julia asked as she went to the door to look out.

"I don't know if you'd get enough to do that much," Beckett said, setting Eliza on one of the chairs at the island and standing with her. "But we could walk out for a little. Didn't you play outside today at school?"

"Yeah, but still," Julia said.

Smiling at the way she'd said that, Castle said. "Better start your homework sweetheart, just in case it doesn't snow so you can head out and play with your sister."

"How do you know I'm going to agree to that?" Beckett asked him teasingly as Eliza held her arms out to her. She set the toddler down and watched her run after her sister who went to get her backpack.

"A guess?" Castle suggested, putting the cider mix into the bottoms of the mugs he'd set out. "A lucky guess?"

"A lucky one," Beckett said, shaking her head though she was smiling slightly. She turned to Martha then and said, "You're freed up from watching them now if you'd like to do anything."

"Oh no, I'm fine," Castle's mother said. "I won't have any plans until the weekend, when the parties are being held, so I'm sticking around here."

"The girls will be happy to hear that," Castle said before he heard Julia talking.

"That book is too big for you," the little girl was protesting. "Mommy, she wouldn't put it down."

"Here, your math book?" Beckett asked as she took it from Eliza.

"Yeah," Julia said. "I have to work on fractions again."

"Hopefully you remember how we helped you yesterday," Beckett told her.

"I do," Julia replied. "And that's it."

"That's it? You got off light today," Castle told her as he was setting the mugs on the table. "Love, the shortbread-"  
"That's fine," Beckett said. "But just one, and Eliza and I will split one together."

After getting the small cookies, Castle went back to the table, sitting with his family as his mother and wife were talking while Julia had begun her homework. He had sat next to Beckett when Eliza called to him and looked at her he was surprised to see that she looked a little unsure to speak again. "What is it?" he asked.

"Do I tell Jules?" the toddler asked.

"Tell me what?" Julia asked, hearing her name and looking up.

"Oh, about their visit," Beckett replied. "Your sister and gram stopped by the station today."

"Sorry," Eliza said.

"That's okay," Julia said with a smile at the concerned look on her sister's face. "I went there before."

"She did?" Martha asked.

"The open house they had when they finished building the new station," Castle reminded her. "She enjoyed it."

"Yeah, except for the…" Julia started to say before she looked to her mother for confirmation.

"Gun range, I'm not surprised you didn't," Beckett replied.

"They were firing weapons that day?" Martha said, looking startled.

"No, I didn't like the stuff in the back," Julia said. But she then started to smile and she turned to her father who glanced back at her in surprise.

"Wh- oh you told her about that?" Castle asked with a slight laugh as he realized what the little girl was talking about.

"Did you really have to trick Mommy?" Julia asked.

"Not really, but back then I liked to get her attention by making her just a little irritated at me," Castle said. "And I really wanted to see those pictures for the case."

"I don't know if that's the kind of attention you wanted though," Beckett said. "How's your homework going?" she then asked Julia to change the subject.

"Good," the little girl said.

"What're you thinking?" Castle asked since her tone slowed down. "Or are you having problems with… a problem?"

Smiling at her father at that, Julia shook her head and said, "I wish we could go get the fabric for our dresses today."

"We could," Martha said. "We could leave your parents alone-"

"I think I'll go with you," Beckett said, interrupting her.

"You will?" Julia asked, trying not to laugh as her sister looked so eager.

"Yeah, plus I'll help your gram control the two of you," Beckett said teasingly. "Rick?"

"I'll stay, I could start dinner," Castle said.

"Okay, so as soon as you finish sweetie," Beckett told Julia. "And don't rush so quickly you make mistakes," she said hurriedly as the little girl's head turned down to her paper swiftly.

"I know, 'cause you're going to check it right?" Julia asked as she was reading her next problem.

"I am," Beckett said before she got up and went to Eliza in her high chair, kissing the top of her head. With that she went into the kitchen where Castle was looking through the fridge. "Do you need us to pick up something at the market?"

"I think I'm good," Castle said slowly before he closed the door.

"Do I get a hint?" Beckett asked.

"You'll see," Castle replied. "I'm surprised you want to go."

"I have the chance to spend time with them," Beckett said. At that point her phone rang and she quickly answered it saying, "Charlie, hey, is something wrong with Thunder?" looking up at her husband as he went over to her to lean close and listen in.

"No, no," the man said before she had finished saying that. "I wanted to let you know that Thunder was actually sold this morning and they wanted me to give their respects to who trained him, they love him."

"Oh… you sold him…" Beckett started to say before she slowed down. She felt Castle's hand on her back and then quickly said, "That's great, I'm glad he turned out that well for them."

"I'm wondering if I might call you again if I ever have a horse like him? I could split the money with you from any sales, or else take off some of your dues for the stables," Charlie said.

"We can talk about that later, if there is ever another horse that needs the same kind of help," Beckett replied. She then said goodbye to the man before glancing at the table, seeing that the girls both had slightly saddened looks on their faces. "It's alright you two," she said comfortingly, pouncing on the chance to ignore the disappointment she felt. "As long as I can ride a horse I don't care which one it is."

"Julia's finished," Martha said. "And we're all done with our cider."

"Gram, wanna go," Eliza said, reaching out to her.

"We'll head out in a second," Beckett said absently, looking at the answers to the problems on Julia's paper. "We'll go right now, great job sweetie," she said with a smile as she gave the sheet back to her. "Pack up while I bundle your sister to go."

Eliza; handed over to her mother from her grandmother; said, "Not cold Mommy."

"I know, but when we get out you will be," Beckett told her seriously before she smiled as the toddler kissed her cheek. "Thank you, do you know what color you want your dress to be?" she asked as she sat down on the bench at the foyer. She looked up at Castle as he knelt in front of her, getting Eliza's shoe on. It was then their youngest was lightly tugging her pendant and she said, "That color? We'll look out for it."

"Okay, you're set," Castle said as he stood up.

"Rick-" Beckett started to say when she saw him wincing for a moment.

"I'll get it when you go," Castle told her quickly. "Let me get her ready for you."

Sighing slightly, Beckett let Eliza slide off her lap before she stood to get her red coat back on. Getting her scarf set underneath it she kept her eye on her husband and their daughter before he had their youngest ready. "Come here-" she started to say, about to bend down to pick her up.

"Daddy it's cold," Julia said when he picked up her little sister, having been putting on her things with Martha next to them.

"We're going to the garage so I won't be cold," Castle told her quickly as he carried Eliza.

"If you need anything, call me," Beckett said when they had gotten into the garage and she was watching him put the toddler into her car seat.

"Some fabric?" Castle asked as he stood up. When she just gave him a look, her eyebrow raised, he said quickly, "Got it. Have fun over there." He kissed her briefly, chancing that before he let her get inside. He watched them go, unable to help shivering in the cold as he saw that it was starting to lightly snow as the car turned to leave the driveway. Shaking himself then he went back into the house after closing the door, focused on the meal he wanted to try and make for the first time.

During the ride to the fabric store, Beckett was able to look back at her daughters every so often since Martha was driving. She had to smile as they were having a conversation about the Christmas lights that Eliza had yet to see. "We'll try and take you this year," she told the toddler, smiling when the two looked at her in surprise at her contribution. "But you know what it looks like; you've seen your sister's pictures."

"It's not the same Mommy," Julia protested.

"I know but she's still young, the cold is going to affect her more, remember?" Beckett said.

Looking back and forth between her mother and sister, Eliza finally said, "I want to go."

"We'll see," Beckett said soothingly, reaching back and squeezing her leg gently.

"Okay, we're here, now I think we should try some silks with them," Martha said as she was parking the car.

"Silk… for play dresses?" Beckett asked slightly doubtfully.

"They're not that rough with their costumes," Martha said as she helped Julia out while Eliza was unbuckled from her seat by her mother. "Every time I come I think to myself these two aren't even wearing them. I only have what you tell me to know they are dressing up."

"We are Gram," Julia giggled as they walked into the store. She squeezed her hand and said anxiously, "Where do we look first?"

"The silks are over here," Martha replied, taking Julia over to the bolts of fabric. "Now, you said you wanted to get something blue…" she began.

Watching the two, Beckett looked down at Eliza who was pulling at her hand slightly and said, "Hold on sweetie, wait until they pick something for your sister."

"Colors are pretty," Eliza said eagerly, looking up at her mother.

"Kate," Martha called to her. "Julia liked this shade, and I have to say I do as well, it makes her eyes much greener."

"I think we all like the color," Beckett said, looking at the rich blue fabric that Eliza was lightly touching.

"You think Daddy will?" Julia said, biting her lower lip.

"He will, now it's your turn," Beckett said, directing the last to Eliza.

Going to her grandmother eagerly, the toddler looked over the shades of blue they were in front of. "That Gram," she said, pointing to one above her.

"This?" Martha said, taking down the light blue bolt. When Eliza nodded eagerly she smiled saying, "You have a good eye for colors already, you'll take after me I believe."

"For what?" Julia asked in slight confusion.

"Perhaps making costumes as well," Castle's mother said absently as she took the two bolts. "Now, for some ribbons."

"Are you going to trim them?" Beckett asked.

"No, no, for sashes," Martha replied. "Julia, what do you think of a white ribbon for yours?"

"I want too, Gram," Eliza said quickly as her sister was nodding.

"So you don't mind matching with that?" Martha asked with a smile. When the two shook their heads at the same time she leaned down to kiss them both saying, "I'm so glad I came when I did."

"Me too," Eliza said, her big sister echoing her.

"Alright, I'll take care of this," Martha said, holding up a roll of white ribbon that the girls nodded to. "Look around," she urged the three. "It might take me some time to get everything set."

"When did you take their measurements?" Beckett asked.

"When we got home," Martha said simply as she set the fabric and ribbon on a table.

"Can we go look around Mommy?" Julia asked.

"Yes, we'll be around," Beckett told her mother in law before she picked up Eliza and took Julia's hand with her free one.

"Mommy," the little girl said as they came to some patterned fabrics. "Will you work tomorrow?"

"We need to," Beckett replied. "Do you mind?"

"No, I have to go to school anyway," Julia said. "Lizzy was asking if she was going to get to play with Gram again."

"She will," Beckett said with a smile. "How come you couldn't tell me?" she asked the toddler.

"She didn't want you and Daddy to be jealous of Gram," Julia told her as her little sister buried her face into their mother's shoulder.

"It's alright," Beckett assured the toddler. "You don't get to see your Gram for that long when she comes for the weekend, so I don't blame you both for wanting to spend as much time with her as you can."

"How did you know I-" Julia started to say.

"I could tell sweetie," Beckett said, setting Eliza down then. "And also, the same with your grandpapa when he comes over." She then turned to her youngest and said, "Eliza, don't pull on the fabric."

Frowning as she had wanted to see more of the pattern with animals on it, the toddler walked ahead of her mother and sister before she then ran to Martha. "Do we go now?" she asked, flinging her arms around her grandmother.

"After I pay," Martha assured her. "Would you like to come with me?"

"Yeah," Eliza said happily, taking her hand.

"So how was your dance class today?" Beckett asked Julia as they were left alone.

"Okay," the little girl replied. When her mother asked if something was wrong, Julia quickly said, "I had some trouble with the pivot."

"Well, Jennifer had that same problem in her Samba didn't she?" Beckett asked with a smile.

"I thought of that too," Julia said, leaning against her mother. "Can I show you and Daddy something after dinner?"

"Of course, you know we want to see everything you do," Beckett assured her. "I think we should go, your gram is done." She took her daughter's hand and walking out to the car she looked up at the snow.

"Mommy-" Julia started to say.

"Let's wait and see how it is at home," Beckett replied. "I'll drive this time," she said to her mother in law.

"I think I'll sit back with the girls, if you won't be lonely up front by yourself," Martha said as she was holding Eliza when they got to the car.

"Go ahead," Beckett said, letting her take the girls in the back as she made her way to the front. She set off for home, listening with a smile to three talking about the dresses that Martha was going to make with the fabric on the driver's seat next to her.

* * *

Setting something into the oven, Castle heard someone walking up to him and he turned to see it was his wife. "Hey, how was it?" he asked.

"Very well, they're going up to check on some patterns online already," Beckett said with a smile. "Are you doing something right now?"

"I… no," Castle said, starting to look over at the stove before his gaze snagged on the expression on his wife's face. He reached out for her as she stepped into his embrace, noticing for a second that she still had her coat on before they were suddenly kissing hungrily. He groaned as he held her close while their tongues began to flick against each other inside of his mouth.

Beckett was a little frustrated when they had to end the kiss to breathe but she smiled when her husband was a little frantic in pulling her scarf enough away from her neck to give him access to it. She sighed as he kissed at her pulse and she whispered, "Tonight."

"I know," Castle told her, feeling the same desire that was in her tone of voice. He kissed her then, but kept it very quick as he could hear the others coming down the stairs. "Hey, you must have gotten some great fabric," he told the girls as they hurried over to him while Beckett went to take off her coat and put it away. "Didn't even- oof," he grunted as they threw their arms around his waist tightly at the same time. "I'm glad to see you too, both of you," he said as he knelt to hug them and kiss their cheeks quickly. "Now, show me what you got."

"I wonder if I shouldn't have had you two go," Martha commented as she met Beckett at the end of the staircase.

"It was a fun trip," she assured her mother in law. "And Rick wanted to make dinner so…"

"Do you have the patterns?" Julia asked as she saw them walking over to the kitchen.

"You found them already?" Castle asked. "Again Mother, you're so much quicker with them than you were with me."

"Richard, you're a grown man now, I would suggest that you let it go," Martha said in a mock-stern voice.

"Alright," Castle said with a suffering sigh that had no real distress in it. "Show us what you found."

Taking the pieces of paper with pictures on them, Julia said, "That one's mine, and that's gonna be Eliza's."

"Wait," Beckett said as she and Castle exchanged a glance then. "You got the fabric without a pattern or measurements."

"There will be scraps," Martha said, nodding. "Which I won't mind. Now, can they go outside?"

"I think we should," Castle said, looking out with the others to see the snow falling still.

"But you come inside when we say it's time to," Beckett said. "Or when I say since I get the feeling already your daddy would let you stay out as long as possible."

"Well… you got me there," Castle said before he nodded. "We'll listen to you love."

"And dinner?" Martha asked.

"It's fine, it's in the stove," Castle said as he took Julia over to the entry. "Are you coming out?" he asked his mother.

"I'll step out for a moment," Martha said, having followed them. "To see what you get up to."

"Great, when you come back in, do you mind opening a bottle of wine?" Castle asked, throwing on his jacket while Julia was putting on her scarf.

"My choice?" Martha asked. When her son nodded she smiled and buttoned up her own coat before she followed them out into the back.

Beckett watched as Julia ran out onto the grass, hidden by the snow, and wasn't surprised when she tilted her head back to try and catch the snowflakes on her tongue. She laughed softly when Eliza let go of her hand to hurry over and started to try and mimic her sister, pulling her scarf out of the way.

"I don't get any," the toddler complained.

"Yeah you did," Julia replied, taking her sister's hands. "They just melted, it's like ice cream."

"Oh," Eliza said, looking up. She then said, "What do we play?"

"Let's see if we can make snow angels," Julia said. She had to help her sister lay down, but soon she was lying back with her, running her arms and legs up and down. She was startled to see their dad coming over and asked, "Can she do it?"

"I don't think so," Castle said, hurriedly moving the toddler's arms and then legs. He picked her up and said, "Look down now."

"Pretty!" Eliza said, seeing the two snow angels. "Play again!"

"Why don't we make the first snowman of December?" Beckett suggested since she didn't want her youngest lying on the snow again.

"Yeah, make the bottom with me Mommy!" Julia cried as she ran towards the side of the lawn to gather up the snow there.

Martha watched the family with a smile on her face before cold drove her into the house. But she remained at the doors for a moment, watching as her son made a small head for the snowman while Beckett and Julia were preparing the base. As Eliza threw some snow in the air over Castle, she laughed softly and then left as he was taking his youngest daughter in his arms, hugging her tightly before they finished the snowman.

"Okay, so I think we did a pretty good job considering we don't have that much snow," Beckett said as they studied what they'd made.

"He's naked," Julia said, looking up at her parents.

"He's going to need to be," Castle said. "She's shaking love," he told his wife.

"Go," Beckett said quickly, seeing that Eliza was shivering in his arms.

"Don't say I have to go too," Julia protested as her mother took her hand.

"We can't really do anything else out here," Beckett said firmly. "Plus you have to be cold too."

"I am… a little," Julia admitted.

"I'll get you two something warm to drink," Castle was saying as he was getting Eliza's coat off of her inside the house. "Not hot chocolate, because-"

"I'll make some cider for them again," Beckett said, helping Julia with her things.

"What about you?" Castle asked as the two girls left them to go find their grandmother.

"What about me?" Beckett asked in amusement as he slid her scarf from off her shoulders.

"Cold?" Castle said.

"Oh, freezing," Beckett said jokingly. She put her hands on her husband's chest then, stopping him from getting any closer saying, "I wish we had the chance but…"

"The girls… oh, and dinner. How long were we outside?" Castle asked rhetorically as he took her hand and led her to the kitchen. Before he let it go to check on the stove her kissed the back of her hand and watched as she glanced at him before going to the stove.

"It's not very tall," Julia was saying to Martha who she was leaning against at the kitchen table. "But it's still a good snowman."

"Your first one wasn't it?" Martha asked Eliza who was on her lap.

"Yeah, I wanna make more," the toddler said with a wide smile before she giggled. "I made snow!"

"I saw that," Martha said, cuddling her close. "Oh, here you are, now you'll warm up," she said as Beckett came over with a mug. "They're sharing?"

"Can you help her with that?" she asked her mother in law.

"Go talk with my son about… whatever you'd like, I'll take care of them," Martha said, waving her hand at her.

Smiling, Beckett kissed the girls quickly before she went over to Castle at the oven, looking at what he was taking out of it. "Really?" she asked with a smile.

"You know how interested in it Julia was," Castle replied, looking at his first attempt at Cornish pasties. "I think they look pretty good. Smell good too," he said, glancing at his wife.

"They do, should we eat now?" Beckett asked, looking at her watch. "We were outside longer than I thought we were. Julia, Eliza," she called before going over to their daughters.

With that the table was set and after everyone had been served, Castle urged his wife to be the first to taste his concoction and when Beckett had given it her approval the others began to eat and the discussion went to Julia as dinners during the week often did, the adults inquiring about her day.

"So we're going to get a demonstration tonight?" Castle asked as Julia was getting some of the steak and potato from the pasty onto her plate.

"Yeah… can I show you and Mommy how to do something?" the little girl asked.

"What? The pivot," Beckett said, sharing a look with her husband as she'd told him what Julia had talked to her about at the fabric store.

"No, something else, it's-" Julia started to say.

"The roll?" Castle guessed. When the little girl blushed slightly before nodding he said, "I don't think we could do that sweetheart."

"We're not the dancers here, that's you," Beckett said gently.

"But could you maybe try?" Julia suddenly begged. "I would love to see it in person, and you're tall enough to do that Daddy."

"She's right, Peter at the moment is a little too short; meaning he's the same height as her," Martha said as she was cleaning Eliza's fingers of some of the potato she'd mashed herself with them. "It's awkward for them to try."

"What, you want us to try that move?" Castle asked.

"It would be interesting," Martha said, the amusement in the idea filling her tone.

"Well…" Castle said, looking at his wife questioningly.

"Alright," Beckett said, sighing in slight frustration as the others were all looking at her. "We'll try it. But," she said quickly when Julia looked eager at that. "We'll try it once."

"Why not three times? As they say, third time is the charm," Martha said. "And as I say, third time doing a roll makes it Samba."

"Since when do you say that?" Castle asked, his eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Since I decided it'd be good for you two to try to dance," Martha replied.

"We'll try," Beckett said firmly. "I'd say you should dance for us Julia."

"I can't dance without Peter," she protested though she was smiling.

Castle, taking a sip of wine then, wondered why it was so quiet around the table when he set down his glass, seeing that his wife was pointing at him. "Oh sure love, I'm hesitant about doing a Samba roll, you think I'll suddenly turn into Fred Astaire dancing with Julia."

"That would be so cool," Julia said her eyes wide.

"Yeah," Eliza said, her already wide eyes wider as she mimicked her sister. She smiled as the others laughed at her then and she asked, "Why? Mommy, Daddy, why?"

"Because we love you sweetie," Beckett answered. "And Fred Astaire is the dancer we've watched in movies remember?"

"Daddy dances like that?" Eliza asked, her eyes growing wide again.

"That would be nice," Castle said.

"I doubt I'd turn into Ginger Rodgers, but you're right, it would be nice," Beckett said with a smile. "Okay, let's finish up and go try to dance since I'm guessing we're not going to be able to get out of it," she commented.

Finishing up their food, Martha helped Julia clear the table while Castle and Beckett started to clean at the sink; all of them watching Eliza trying to waltz with an invisible partner.

"You're sure she doesn't want to dance?" Martha asked her son and daughter in law.

"We're sure, but only for right now," Castle said, taking a plate from his wife to put into the dishwasher. "If she wants to try when she's older you know we'll enroll her in Julia's dance class."

"Of course," Martha said. "Well, they don't need us anymore kiddos," she said to Julia and Eliza; who quickly stopped dancing at that. "Why don't we scout out the family room, make sure that it's ready for your parents; and you as well Julia?"

"I go and scow!" Eliza cried before running to the room.

"I wonder if she knows that means a boat," Castle said as his mother and Julia left in a hurry to follow.

"Here," Beckett said, handing him the forks she'd cleaned. "Are we really going to do that?"

"Look at it this way love, she wants us to do it, so we should just give it a shot," Castle said. When his wife stopped and turned to him he asked, "What?" wondering at the look on her face.

"You just want me pressed back against you," Beckett said.

"No I don't," Castle said quickly.

"You just lost your poker face you pervert," Beckett said, turning back to the sink, though she was smiling; unable to help it. She laughed softly when Castle's lips suddenly pressed to the side of her neck and said, "Here, this is the last of it, we can go now." She watched him close the dishwasher before washing his hands hurriedly and once they were dry she took his hand, pulling him to the family room where the others were waiting, the girls what looked like anxiously, for them.

"So, I guess we're dancing tonight Kate," Castle told her as Julia jumped up and handed him the remote for the TV. "Or wait… we're watching a movie now?"

"No," the little girl said firmly. "You should watch Derek do it first and then you can try."

"I think she's a little nervous instructing you two," Martha said with a smile.

"Jennifer's Samba?" Beckett asked. She smiled when Julia nodded and then saw out of the corner of her eye that Eliza was slipping off her grandmother's lap. "You sure you don't want to try the roll with your sister?" she asked teasingly.

"I'm too tall for her," Julia said simply. She then turned to her mother and said, "Just once Mommy? I know you don't dance like this but I want to see if you can do it."

"Just once," Beckett said, not surprised that she'd picked up on her reluctance still.

"Okay, here we are," Castle said. "But should I just go straight to-"

"No! Watch the whole dance," Julia said, pretending to be stern. When her father jumped a little in mock surprise she giggled and said, "Please? And you should stand here behind Mommy," taking his hand and tugging at it.

Smiling when she felt her husband's hand coming up to rest on her abdomen, Beckett said, "We've seen this clip so many times…"

"I know," Castle was able to say before it began.

"See?" Julia said when the dance finished. "You bend over and roll around, make sure not too much or you're gonna fall over."

"Did someone do that in your class?" Castle asked in amusement.

"Yeah, they were okay though," Julia said. "We all started to laugh because it feels silly doing it when you don't have music."

"Should we have some music then?" Castle suggested.

"We're just doing one move love," Beckett said. "Which we should go ahead and do."

"Alright," Castle said. "Ready?" he then asked, whispering in her ear.

Julia watched as her parents went through a Samba roll, but very slowly. When they'd stopped she winced when her mother touched her side and asked, "Did you stretch too far?"

"No, I'm okay, I think I'm too old for this though," Beckett said jokingly.

"Jennifer was fifty when she did that," Julia pointed out.

"I'm kidding," Beckett said with a smile. She turned to her husband and when he nodded slightly she went over to the couch, not surprised when Eliza ran to her, throwing her arms around her neck. "Do you think we did a good job?" she asked the toddler.

"Yeah," Eliza replied with a giggle.

"Oh, got a text from Alexis…" Castle was saying then as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. "She wants to call us now, are we ready?" When the girls scrambled to sit on the coffee table, facing the TV, he smiled and ruffled Eliza's hair as he went to get Skype set up. "Hey sweetheart," he said when he saw his daughter on the screen.

"Hey, everyone's there," Alexis said with a slight laugh. "Hi Jules, Lizzy."

"Hi 'lexis," Julia said as her little sister was waving frantically.

"How're you doing kiddo?" Martha asked.

"Pretty well, sorry about not calling yesterday, but that essay was due today… had to get it done," Alexis said.

"She's turning into me," Castle said to his wife.

"I'm not," Alexis said wryly. "I needed to check and make sure everything was okay, plus I had a ton of regular homework too. But I'm here now."

"When are you home?" Eliza asked then.

"Soon, I promise I'll come home soon," Alexis said. "In fact… Dad, Kate, would you mind if I came this Friday and stayed for the weekend?"

"It's your home too Alexis," Beckett told her quickly before Castle could say anything. "You don't need our permission."

"Still, I'd like to give you fair warning," the young woman replied with a smile as her dad's wife had spoken very seriously.

"She's right though, it's home and you can come whenever you like. All I ask is that you let us know what time you leave, just so we can be ready to greet you," Castle said.

"Then I'm coming home this weekend," Alexis said. She smiled as the girls cried out in joy at that before she said, "How's it been going in school Jules?"

Quickly recapping the last two days, Julia then said, "And just now Mommy and Daddy did a Samba roll. It was slow, but they did it."

"Really?" Alexis asked in surprise, looking over at the two of them.

"Mind you she said slow," Castle said.

"So what, does this mean you're going to start taking ballroom now?" Alexis asked in obvious amusement.

"That would be awesome," Castle said. "We'll get you some shoes like Julia has, learn some…" he trailed off at the look his wife was giving him then since he'd been talking to her before turning back to the screen. "Never mind."

"What have you been doing with Gram, Eliza?" Alexis asked her then.

As Martha and Eliza talked about that day, Beckett leaned over to her husband and murmured into his ear, " _We'll talk about that later_."

" _I thought so_ ," Castle replied. He then turned back to the others and waited until the girls had stopped talking about their costumes that Martha was going to make for them before saying, "How goes the internship?"

"Pretty well," Alexis replied. "Though I really wish I could just be a doctor."

"After this school year… and two more years," Castle said. "You will be."

"You'll be the best," Julia then said. "I wish you could have been mine when I was little."

"I couldn't really Jules, but still, you helped me decide what I wanted to be, so I have to thank you for that," Alexis said with a smile.

"I want to do that too," Eliza said.

"Wait until you get older to decide," Alexis said, looking over at her. "Okay, I should go; Diana's calling me to go with her to get some pizza for dinner."

"Will we talk tomorrow?" Julia asked.

"I'll see how my homework looks," Alexis replied. "But I love you two and don't forget, I'm coming this weekend."

"Bye," Eliza said, waving again as her sister echoed her.

"Take care kiddo," Martha called. "And don't forget to take some breaks here and there."

"I will, bye Gram," Alexis said with a smile. "Bye Dad, Kate."

Saying the same to her, Beckett watched as Castle got the TV back to its normal screen and asked, "Should we put them to bed?"

Sharing a laugh with his wife as their daughters nearly glared at them at the same time, Castle said, "I think that's a no."

"Fair enough, but sweetie," Beckett said, looking at Eliza. "You will need to go to bed soon."

"No," the toddler said, looking determined.

"Eerie," Castle said then. When the others looked at him he said to his wife, "She looks like you do in that picture your dad took around that age."

"Pick out a game with them," Beckett said, shaking her head though she was smiling. She watched him go to the cabinet where they kept most of their daughters' games, and she watched him "discuss" the pros and cons of the ones that Eliza could play. "Did you find one?" she asked when they'd turned around.

"Yes, but I'm sure you expected it," Castle said as he set down Candyland.

"I did," Beckett said, smiling as Eliza sat next to her sister on the other side of the coffee table while Castle sat with her. "Are you going to play with us Martha?" she asked her mother in law.

"I'll watch this time around," she replied. "And root for my granddaughters."

"But not your son," Castle said in feigned irritation as he was shuffling the cards that came with the game.

"I've done that already, it's their turn Richard," Martha said simply, knowing he was joking.

"Of course," Castle said. "Alright, go ahead sweetheart," he told Eliza.

Wriggling where she was sitting on her knees, the toddler picked up the first card and cried, "'range!"

"Orange," Castle and Julia said at the same time.

"Can you make the o sound?" Julia then told her little sister. "O," she said, showing her how to shape her mouth.

"Ooo," Eliza said, reaching up and touching her sister's lips before Julia laughed softly. "O-range," she then said slowly.

"Not bad," Beckett said. "How many spaces do you have to go on?" she then asked as they used the game to help her count as well as teaching her about colors.

"One, two, three, fo-our, five," Eliza counted slowly, going on the board.

"Very nice, and you were so close to going up the peppermint pass," Castle said. "No, no," he said as she pretended to grab her game piece to move it back. "Can't go there yet, go ahead Julia," he said as Eliza was giggling.

"I got two yellows," the little girl said, getting her card.

"How much?" Eliza said eagerly, leaning over to see the card.

"I'll count," Julia said before she proceeded to do that. She counted out to ten before reaching her square and said, "That's this many," holding up both her hands.

"A lot?" Eliza asked.

"A lot, your sister isn't even that old yet," Beckett commented as she picked her card next.

"Oh, well, now we know who's going to win," Castle said as she got a card with an ice cream cone on it.

"I don't know," Martha said, a smile on her face as she was watching them. "It's only the first picture on the board."

"Yeah, what if you get the chocolate candy? That's almost to the top," Julia said.

"Since I can't argue with logic like that," Castle said. "I'll go ahead and pick my card… oh, double green," he said, showing Eliza. He counted out to thirteen for the toddler, and said, "Alright, your turn again."

The game proceeded, a little slowly since Castle and Beckett tried to get their daughter to count out loud as much as she could. When one of them had finally reached the end of the board, it turned out to be Julia, who laughed as her little sister wrapped her arms around her, kissing her cheek and crying that she'd won which made them all laugh at her exuberance.

Beckett motioned for Castle to start picking up the game before she then said, "We need to get you upstairs sweetie."

"I-" Eliza started to say.

"I know, you don't want to go to bed yet," Beckett said. "But you need to, plus you need to take a bath."

Sighing as Julia stood up and then picked her up, Eliza made a sound of protest when their mother took her and she said, "I go with Jules."

"You're getting a little too big for her to carry now," Beckett said quickly, kissing her forehead. "Martha?"

"I'll be up to say goodnight," Castle's mother said as she was going over to the coffee table. "I'll take care of this, go," she told him, taking over in putting the game away.

With a quick thanks to her, Castle followed Julia who was following Becket and Eliza upstairs. When they reached their youngest's room he asked, "Want me to do it?"

"It depends on her," Beckett said. She smiled as Eliza got a slightly doubtful look on her face considering the two of them, before pointing to her father. "I had a feeling," she said with a smile. She sat down, watching as Castle got the water started as Eliza was watching her sister. "So it helped we did it in front of you?" she asked in amusement as Julia was trying to do a Samba roll without a partner.

"A lot," Julia said, nodding. "But I have to do it a lot faster."

"You'll get it," Castle said. "That was actually pretty fun to do."

"You should try dancing the whole Samba," Julia said.

"Yeah, you and Daddy kiss," Eliza said, her voice muffled by her father taking off her sweater.

"You think we'd automatically kiss doing that?" Castle asked, nearly laughing at her serious tone.

"Yeah," Eliza said.

"So we have to think of something to do this weekend with your big sister," Beckett said. "Rick?"

"Yes love?" Castle asked, getting their daughter into the tub.

"Would you like to head out to dinner Saturday night? That is if Alexis doesn't want to do something herself," Beckett said.

"I would love to," Castle replied before he murmured an apology to Eliza as some water splashed her face while he was washing her hair. "There's that new Iranian place that opened up two towns over."

"That would be nice to try out. Do you two want to have dinner with your sister?" Beckett asked, more to hear the tone of their replies than to hear them say yes as she already knew they'd agree to that plan. "Okay, we'll tell Alexis the next time we talk to her." She watched as Castle finished washing Eliza's hair before having her help him wash her body with her soap, smiling as the toddler giggled at him tickling her feet. Once she was finished she took their daughter into her arms, wrapped up in the towel she'd dried her with as thoroughly as she could. "We'll be outside," she said to her husband after she'd gotten Eliza into her pajamas and was carrying her into the bedroom, Julia trailing behind them.

Watching them, Castle smiled as he could see from where he was standing that Beckett had gone to the rocking chair that they kept in the room as it was a great help some nights getting the two year old to sleep. He couldn't help but remember the first time he'd seen that same tableau; Beckett holding their youngest, while Julia leaned against the arm of the chair, watching her little sister with a smile on her face; even though it had been two and a half years since it had happened.

* * *

_"Are they getting bored now that she left?" Beckett asked, looking up at her husband as Castle walked into the baby's room._

_"No, they went outside," he replied, ruffling Julia's hair before he leaned over to share a kiss with Beckett. "I slipped away before anyone could notice," he said as he brought Julia with him while he sat on the edge of the bed next to the rocking chair._

_"They will eventually," Beckett said absently, looking down at Eliza who she was nursing. "But I'm surprised so many people came out here."_

_"Mainly Maddie right?" Castle asked._

_"Yes," Beckett groaned slightly, hearing him laugh in response. "But it means she'll have a lot of people who love her at least."_

_"Yeah, 'cause her aunts and uncles do," Julia commented. She then looked thoughtful as her parents looked at her and said, "Why did they bring me flowers?"_

_"Just because they love you," Castle said, sharing a look with his wife before he decided that would suffice as an explanation. "And they know you love delphinium after the wedding."_

_"Also to congratulate you on becoming a big sister," Beckett replied, moving Eliza around before she could start crying. She rocked the chair back and forth carefully saying, "And they gave us flowers for becoming parents for a second time."_

_"And for Eliza being born?" Julia asked with a smile. When her mother nodded, smiling herself, she got up and went over to her, hugging her carefully. "I'm glad she was too," she said, looking down at the baby again._

_"So are we," Castle said, standing up himself. He took the blanket from his wife's shoulder, waiting until she had the baby pulled away from her, and he set Eliza against his shoulder, starting to burp her._

_"Is it like riding a bike?" Beckett asked in amusement as she stood up after fixing her blouse rapidly._

_"I'll say all of taking care of her is, not just this," Castle said. He wasn't surprised when Beckett leaned in to him, kissing him gently before they parted._

_"It's alright," Beckett said a few minutes later when her husband started to hand their daughter to her. "You might as well put her to sleep since you're holding her."_

_Nodding Castle sat down in the chair, smiling at his wife and Julia who were sitting together watching him as he rocked the baby to sleep. It didn't take much time for that to happen and he was soon putting Eliza inside her crib after he and Beckett had kissed her._

_"Come on sweetie," Beckett whispered as Julia reached through the posts to touch her little sister's hand. She took her hand and outside the room she watched the little girl go down the stairs to join the others; still in the back since the house was quiet. She turned to her husband who had been walking behind them and wasn't too shocked when she was suddenly gathered in his arms and kissing him as he crushed her lips with his own._

_It felt like a very long time had passed before Castle finally drew away from her, but only to press his forehead against hers before whispering, "I love you Kate."_

_"I love you too Rick," Beckett said with a smile before she initiated a second kiss. That one was more sensuous than passionate; but no less enjoyable; and they had a hard time parting before she led him downstairs to rejoin their family and friends, leaving their newborn daughter; who'd only been home for a few hours; to sleep._

* * *

"Come on Eliza," Beckett was saying, cutting into Castle's thoughts without her realizing.

"Is she not falling asleep?" he said, going out into the room then after he shook himself of his thoughts.

"Not really," Beckett said with a sigh. She watched as her husband left, and when she heard him calling his mother upstairs she stood, setting Eliza on the edge of her bed.

"I can stay?" the toddler asked eagerly.

"No, you're going to say goodnight to everyone and then sleep," Castle said as he came back inside. "Your gram is coming right now."

"Kay," Eliza said, kicking her legs and sending her slippers flying in the air. "Oops," she couldn't help giggling.

"I guess this means you're getting into bed," Beckett said as she helped Eliza sit under her covers as Martha came in.

"Good night darling, tomorrow we'll do a little school work," she said as she hugged her youngest granddaughter. "And play some games at the same time," she said. Pulling back she laughed a little at the perplexed expression on Eliza's face and told her, "You'll see. I love you Eliza."

"Love you Gram," the toddler said. She smiled as her sister climbed up on the bed and she hugged her saying, "Love you too Jules."

"I love you Eliza," Julia replied. "If Mommy and Daddy are late, you wanna make a picture for them?" She giggled when her sister nodded rapidly and she kissed her cheek before moving out of the way for her father.

"Sweet dreams Eliza," Castle said as he ran his hand over her hair. "I love you sweetheart."

"Love you too Daddy," Eliza said seriously before she shared a kiss with him. She watched him move out of the way of Beckett and she smiled at her mother saying, "Love you Mommy, lots, lots."

"Thank you sweetie," Beckett replied with a smile, having her lay back. She shared a kiss with her before tucking her in and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Satisfied she was set she went with Castle to the door; Martha and Julia having left to go downstairs together; and they waited until their youngest fell asleep.

"So despite her not wanting to, she was out very quickly tonight," Castle commented as they were walking down the hall a short time later.

"What, Alexis was never like that?" Beckett asked him teasingly.

"She was, but I just wanted to state the obvious," Castle replied as they went into the family room. "Okay, so I guess that's what we're playing tonight," he said when he saw his mother and Julia were playing the little girl's game of Connect Four. "How is it going?"

"Shh, we're concentrating," Julia said before she giggled.

"I can tell," Beckett said as she sat with Castle on the couch again, both of them watching the two sliding the checker pieces down in different slots. "Do you want to play with us after?"

"Can I?" Julia asked.

"One game each and then you need to go to bed," Beckett replied, sitting back as Castle wrapped his arm around her. For the first time she started to think of the case and she shook herself mentally to keep from continuing to before she heard a cry from Julia. "Oh, nicely played," she said with a smile as the little girl had just managed to win.

"I was lucky," Julia insisted. "Now you Mommy."

"I don't know love," Castle said. "She did win."

Glancing at her husband momentarily, Beckett turned to the game that Julia had gotten ready and she began by dropping a red checker piece. She and the little girl played quietly before it finished with her winning and she said, "Now I was the lucky one."

"I know, I almost had four in a row here," Julia replied with a smile. "Now you Daddy," she told him with a smile.

"Okay, I'm ready," Castle said, rubbing his hands together to Julia's giggle. He let her start it and that time he won though Julia nearly did again. "You play a pretty mean game you know," he said to her as they cleaned up the game.

"Not my turn," the little girl groaned when she turned from putting it away to see her mother was standing up.

"It is, come on," Beckett replied. "Say goodnight to your gram."

"Thanks so much for the fabric and everything with it," Julia said, hurrying over to Martha to hug her as tightly as she could. "I can't wait to see the dress!"

"I don't blame you kiddo, I am too," Martha said with a smile. "And you're welcome. Get some sleep, tomorrow I might try to start the dress when you're home from school."

"I love you Gram," Julia said, hugging her again before she shared a kiss with her. When her grandmother told her she loved her as well, she kissed her cheek and then went over to her parents who were waiting at the doorway for her.

"I'll make some coffee for us," Martha said, standing up. "Since I'm assuming you two don't want to head to bed yet."

"Well, actually I have a new blend I'd like to try out," Castle said. "If you don't mind waiting for us?"

"Alright," Martha said, waving her hand in their direction.

Getting Julia up to her room, Beckett took her in to the bathroom to give her a bath while Castle waited for them sitting on the bed. When she was finished and Julia was dressed, she let the little girl go out to her father, surprised when she didn't take her brush with her.

"Your backpack is ready right?" Castle asked as Julia got on the bed with him.

"It is," Julia replied. She studied her father's jaw and asked, "Are you really okay?"

"Yep, forgot I even had this," Castle replied as he just barely brushed his fingers over the bruise. "To tell you the truth I don't mind getting hurt."

"Why?" Julia asked in surprise.

"Because it makes your mom worry about me, but don't tell her that," Castle said.

"She doesn't have to because I heard you," Beckett said, coming out then. She smiled when her husband winced and she said, "Just don't throw yourself into situations where you're hurt and I'll worry about when you do get hurt like I did earlier."

"I'll keep that in mind," Castle said, watching as Beckett sat behind Julia and then proceeded to brush her hair.

"I hope you can get home early tomorrow too," Julia commented after they were quiet for a moment.

"So do we, any reason why?" Beckett asked, sharing a smile with her husband.

"So I can do my homework with you here," Julia said a little hesitantly.

"You just want us here to be with you two," Castle said. When the little girl nodded he said, "Us too, but don't worry, next week we will be."

"Into bed Julia, you're done," Beckett said, getting up to put away the brush.

"We'll be here in the morning you know," Castle told her.

"Are you going to make coffee?" Julia asked interestedly.

"You two can decide what I make," Castle said, smiling as he pulled her covers up to her waist. "I love you Julia, night."

"Night Daddy, I love you too," the little girl replied with a smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and shared a kiss with him before her mother came over to her. "You're gonna get a surprise tomorrow," she said.

"I heard, I'm interested to see it," Beckett replied as she was tucking the little girl in. "Sweet dreams Julia, I love you."

"Love you too Mommy," the little girl said before she shared a kiss with her mother. "You don't have to wait," she said as her mother stood up.

"No?" Castle asked.

"No, I'll go to sleep, but I might take a little bit," Julia told them.

"Okay, goodnight sweetie," Beckett said, smiling at her before she took Castle's hand and led him to the door. She closed the lights before stepping out, waiting for him to close the door. "Have you been thinking about the case too?" she asked him as they were walking to the stairs.

"Thinking about it and then trying not to," Castle replied. "I'm sure my mom will want to know what's going on."

"Especially since she knew the vic; plus Seymour and Fern right?" Beckett asked.

"She does," Castle said with a nod. "I- you're coming with me?" he asked as by then they were at the bottom of the staircase. He had started to walk over to the kitchen when his wife followed him and he paused.

"You don't want me to?" Beckett asked with one eyebrow raised before she walked past him to the kitchen.

"I just thought you'd keep my mom company," Castle replied.

Leaning against the island behind him as he started the coffee, Beckett didn't reply to that, watching him prepare three cups. "I wonder if hoping it was Jacks in some capacity was horrible of us to do," she said suddenly.

"Yeah, it is, but… considering how things have gone with her in the past we can't help thinking it," Castle replied.

"Did I hear you say Jacks? As in Fiona Jacks?" Martha said, walking down the hall then.

"Wait until we get into the family room," Castle told his mother before he handed her one of the cups. He followed his wife and mother over to the room and they sat down as they'd been earlier before his wife spoke.

"We had some evidence that she might have been involved in the murder," Beckett said. "But calling her we discovered that she's been in the Bahamas since the end of last month and still is."

"And we had another suspect but he was cleared, he moved the first of this month," Castle continued.

"Do you have any other suspects?" Martha asked in surprise. "Or is that why you were home so soon?"

"What was left to do today was pretty much procedural; meaning paperwork," Beckett said. "So Brad let us go."

"May I?" Castle asked his wife. When she nodded, he then explained what they had so far, not using any names before his mother interrupted him as he was talking about Fern and Seymour to mention them by name. "You knew about that?" he asked in surprise when she talked about Seymour having a child with her lover.

"Oh of course, Christine told me about it, it's pretty salacious news here in the Hamptons, since everyone knows how much he wanted a baby but couldn't," Martha replied. "So he's the one who hit you?" she asked then as she looked at the bruise on her son's jaw.

"He did, but I managed to take him down," Castle said with a grin.

"He did," Beckett sighed when her mother in law looked at her. "But back at the station when he was in holding, he tried to commit suicide."

Breathing out in surprise, Martha was about to say something when she paused and then said, "I'm supposed to keep quiet about that aren't I?"

"That would be nice," Castle said as his wife nodded.

"Have you spoken to Nesta?" Martha said.

"You know her on a first name basis?" Castle said.

"I met her at some luncheons," Martha said. "That my friends have held before. She's a lovely girl, but I have to wonder why she took Antonio as a lover. As far as I knew she and her husband were very much in love."

"I'm going to talk to her tomorrow," Beckett replied. "If you didn't have to watch Eliza I'd bring you with me."

"You would?" both Martha and Castle said in surprise.

"It would put her at ease and make her more likely to answer the questions I have for her," Beckett said, expecting their reactions.

"Try and be sympathetic," Martha advised. "Well, I hope your killer is still here so you won't need to bring in the FBI. And that Nesta wasn't involved; that baby will need its mother."

"I agree," Beckett said. "Goodnight Martha," she said with a smile as Castle's mother was standing up.

"Night Mother," Castle then said before she left them alone. He wrapped his arm around his wife as they listened to the sound of his mother going up the stairs. He sighed and said, "There's a lot about this case that bothers me."

"Probably because we don't have all that much in the way of evidence," Beckett replied, finishing the last of her coffee. She leaned against him and said, "We should leave the case alone now that we've talked out our frustrations with your mom, and get back to it tomorrow."

"After getting some rest?" Castle asked as he grabbed the remote on the table in front of them.

"Well, we'll see," Beckett replied. She smiled as he went to Netflix on his TV saying, "It's pretty early, I'm surprised your mom went to bed."

"She's probably reading or doing something," Castle said. He then paused and said, "Hey, maybe she's wrapping gifts," faking starting to stand up.

" _Don't move, I'm really comfortable right now_ ," Beckett said as she tucked her legs underneath her.

"Well eventually we do have to move," Castle pointed out.

"Not yet," Beckett said with a smile. She laughed softly when he murmured that she looked gorgeous in Irish before saying, "What are you aiming for Rick?"

" _Nothing_ ," Castle said firmly. " _It needed to be said_."

Studying him, Beckett smirked before she said, "Let's pick a movie then."

"Alright," Castle said easily, knowing she was trying to test him. "What do you feel like?"

"Something good… that one," Beckett said, seeing a movie poster that looked interesting.

" _The King's Speech_ …" Castle said before he went to it to read the description. "Ah, you've got royalty on the brain with that book you're reading."

"And those two are in my romances book, the one I have to read next," Beckett said.

"It's… a good marriage or bad?" Castle asked.

"Play the movie," Beckett said with a smile. She wrapped her arms around him as he did so and they started to watch. Since they'd gotten to it so early, she urged her husband to keep going when he paused it at the one hour mark. "We don't have to go early tomorrow remember? I need to let Seymour rest before I can go in to talk to her," she pointed out to him.

"Right, and besides that everyone else is taking care of everything," Castle said before he played the movie. "I have to admit," he said quickly. "I'm enjoying this."

"Me too," Beckett replied hurriedly as well before a character began to speak.

When the movie had ended, Castle stopped the movie and said, "That'll be an interesting story to read in your book," as they picked up their cups to take to the kitchen.

"You want to read it?" Beckett said with a smile.

"Of course," Castle said. "You know what, let me read that whole book after you do, see if this royalty history is interesting. Who knows," he told her as he rinsed the mugs and put them away. "I might want to write something about one of them."

"I think you should stick with what you're writing now," Beckett told him.

"What we're writing," Castle corrected her.

"What we're writing," Beckett said before she took his hand and led him upstairs. Instead of going to their room though, she led him over to Eliza's room where they went inside to check on their youngest. Seeing that she was fast asleep, she quickly fixed the sheets before she kissed the top of the toddler's head after Castle had.

Taking Beckett over to Julia's room, he tucked her Stitch doll back into her arms before she fixed the sheets over their oldest. Taking his wife's hand, Castle led her over to their room that time and he said, "Do you want me to turn on the fire?"

"Go ahead," Beckett replied. "But I'm going to take a bath."

"That's fine, I'll do some reading," Castle said, thinking of the book he had been reading the night before. He took her hand before she could walk away and he kissed her gently before he let her go. Watching her look back at him before closing the bathroom door, he breathed out heavily at her expression that had immediately sent a thrill through him and he turned to the fire, going over to turn it on before he got a few things prepared for Beckett before she returned.

* * *

Looking at her husband, Beckett watched him for a moment as he stood at the windows looking out on the beach and she asked, "Is it still snowing?"

"It stopped," Castle said, not moving from where he was.

Glancing back at him as she was walking around to her side of the bed, Beckett took off her robe to throw it on an armchair in front of the fire. When she turned from it, she nearly jumped to find her husband in front of her. "What's wrong?" she finally asked, studying him. "You're being really quiet, it's scaring me." She had expected some kind of reaction to that comment, but when he instead wrapped his arms around her she was startled before he closed the gap between them, kissing her. She reacted quickly, putting her arms around his neck tightly as she responded, feeling his tongue sweeping over her lower lip as soon as she had.

When his wife had parted her lips for him Castle deepened the kiss, making it a lot more passionate than it had started out as. He could hear her moaning against him and he shuddered slightly at the sound of it before he was quick to stop himself. He pulled away so they could breathe briefly, kissing her again. When he found her there with him, he nearly lost control of himself but managed to stop from dragging her the rest of the way to the bed. He reminded himself that he was enjoying the feel of their lips crushed together, the taste of her as their tongues were fighting together a little hungrily. But they needed air again and he finally had to break it off, looking into her eyes intently as he did so.

"Rick…" Beckett started to say before he pushed her hair off her right shoulder. That done she looked on as he was leaning down, brushing his lips over her neck and as far down her collarbone as he could reach before he got to her pajama top. She shivered at the touch and warmth he provided her and she slipped out of his embrace, stepping back to the bed where she was stopped when he put his right hand on the small of her back. When he leaned down to her again she somehow was expecting the few short, swift kisses he gave her; though she had no idea how she could have known. But it was still pleasurable and when Castle had her lay back on the bed, she felt a shiver of anticipation go through her as she hadn't been seeing things; he had made a slight nest of their pillows.

As soon as his wife's back was on the bed, Castle was following her, laying on her as he captured her lips with his own. He felt her place her hands on his chest for a moment as they slowly rolled their tongues around and against each other inside of her mouth but she then slid them around to the back of his neck to clasp them there. Moving away, he looked deeply into her eyes before he was nuzzling her lips with his. He wasn't sure if he murmured something to her; he was pretty sure that he had, but what he'd said he could never tell. When she leaned up to kiss him he was struck by the heavy contrast between the obvious silence of the room versus the pounding of his heart in his ears. He was heavily aroused and had been since he'd gathered all the pillows he could to make sure that she would be comfortable. Finally he moved back from her and stayed away, kissing his way down until he reached her neck.

A soft, "Oh…" filled the room then as Beckett could feel Castle sucking on her pulse that was racing underneath her skin. She bit her lower lip heavily as he went a little harder at her vocal response and she held onto the back of his head tightly as he moved all around her neck. Her skin was throbbing where he'd been and she shifted slightly underneath him, trying to relieve the ache that was making itself known to her between her legs. It was then that he reached her breasts and he pulled away, letting her see how deep his own arousal was; his eyes almost black. She decided to take the initiative then and she sat up, surprised when he let her. But as they worked together to get her shirt off, she guessed it was because he had wanted to do that anyways.

Looking at his wife as her upper body was exposed, Castle swallowed a little hard, taking in her breasts before she was getting his attention by putting her fingers under his chin. The tips of them pushed up slightly and they were kissing again, but that time far more sensuously than passionately. He wasn't going to complain; though he nearly did as she soon moved away from him. "Love-" he began to say, his voice low in tone. But she cut him off by lying back, taking him with her and he had no cause to complain as she led him to her breasts. He was quick to take her unspoken suggestion and he cupped her right mound, feeling her shifting underneath him almost immediately in response. He glanced up at her face and he couldn't stop himself from leaning over, kissing her deeply on the lips as he let his hand wander over both her breasts, caressing them and teasing her a little. When they moved apart he nearly smiled at her very obvious frustration but then moved down, kissing down her neck and past the hollow of her throat before he reached her mounds. He looked up at her then as all of a sudden she was moving and when he saw her arms above her head, he shuddered hard once at the sight of her before he brushed his lips to hers gently. "I want you Kate," he breathed out, his voice husky with his desire.

"You have me Rick, take me…" Beckett started to say. She was going to say more when he was suddenly pressing his lips over her breasts. She closed her eyes tightly at the brushing sensation of them, each one setting off a rough spark that shot down between her legs. She had no idea how long he was doing that but soon felt him move back and looking down at him she watched as he palmed her right breast. "I want you love, badly," she was finally able to finish saying, wanting to take the chance as she was almost breathless with the raw desire she saw in his eyes as they turned to her. Their gaze was intense before he was descending at her leading him again and as he proceeded to suckle at her nipple she couldn't stop throwing her head back in her joy at the rush that stimulation provided her very much desirous body.

Castle moved carefully over his wife, pausing to press a kiss a few times to the scar in between her breasts. He could feel and hear her pleasure in what he was doing as she was grabbing at him tightly and moaning his name softly under her breath. He finally couldn't take it anymore and he moved up to her lips, kissing her ardently as she wrapped her arms around him. When they pulled away he could feel her trembling underneath him, her breath hot on his lips and he flicked his tongue out to her lower lip. He managed to get her back into her mouth before their tongues could start dueling outside of it, taking his time with that kiss for as long as he could manage before his body reminded him that he wasn't being unaffected by her. He moved back completely and was careful as he removed the rest of her clothes, which was done rapidly as she helped him. He started to go back to her when she stopped him, sitting up as she pushed on his chest while he tried to kiss her again.

Stopping him, Beckett was quick to get his pajama shirt off, wondering why he'd bothered to change if he'd had the idea of taking her as soon as she was finished with her bath. But she got her answer without having to ask as she helped him with the last of his pajamas and he was laying her back, his erection against her thigh. She whispered his name a moment before he made her spread her legs with a brush of his hand on her thigh. She parted them quickly before he was sliding into her, making her gasp slightly as it was a sudden shock to her body that had been craving that moment. As he moved slowly, deliberately within her she wrapped her right leg tightly around his waist, both of them groaning immediately as that made her constrict around him a little more. When their hips had finally met, she placed her left foot flat on the side of his leg and a second later he made his first thrust.

Nearly yelling out as he was already starting to move rapidly, Castle was almost dazed at the feel of his wife and how tight she was around him. He spent what felt like a long time then just feeling her around him, the way their bodies reacted to one another and the constant sensation of them moving. He at some point leaned down and took his wife's lips with his own, groaning into her mouth as he was quick to lose his rhythm for a few thrusts, slamming haphazardly against her. But finally he got himself under control and was able to focus a little more on their kiss. Their heads were tilting back and forth a little crazily, many times before they parted at the same time, needing to breathe badly with their exertions. He took a few quick gasps of air before he moved to her neck and down to her breasts, his lips sliding along her skin, feeling the silky heat of it against him.

Holding onto the back of his head as hard as she could, Beckett tried to tilt her hips up a little more than they were and she slid her leg around his waist a bit higher. The action made the sensation of his length driving into her double and she was burning up, his lips joined that, and she wondered if she could last long enough to remember that bout later on. But the thought was taken over by Castle moving back up to her lips. They kissed again and she wasn't too surprised they'd seemed to convey to each other that things were going to be much slower as it became more than just one kiss. When he moved away from her and kept back for longer than a few quick breaths, she stared up at him, her hand cupping his cheek before she pulled him down to her. His forehead resting against hers she brushed her lips against his, feeling a rush of enjoyment when he responded and they fell into yet another kiss. Her arms tightened around his neck when he moved to slide his lips over her again and that time her breath shortened even more than it already was as he drifted over her breasts.

Taking them with more eagerness than he'd shown her previously, Castle found himself trying to process everything that he was going through suddenly. But it was almost next to impossible, there was too much about her that was making him take all of it at once. But the one constant was her, her body warm and sensuous underneath him that was letting him take her far rougher than he'd planned. After so many years with her, he still had no idea what it was about her that made him tend towards being rough, though he had to guess it was because he wanted to make sure she felt him and the pleasure he could give her. Her moan suddenly broke his thoughts and he moved back up to her lips, taking them.

Her nails raking over her husband's shoulders roughly, Beckett nearly jerked to a stop when Castle did so and she suddenly found herself holding onto air as he slid down. Pushing herself up on her elbows, she watched him go immediately to her clit, almost delicate as he flicked his tongue against it. She cried out before that slid into a quick moan and he was hurriedly lapping at her entire entrance. She finally had to stop him as everything she felt was starting to overwhelm her. Somehow she managed to pull him up to her and that time she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist before he'd even entered her again. As they moved when they were fully coupled she was begging him to fuck her and was more than thrilled when he immediately did so. She took his abrupt kiss then and raked her nails over the back of his head; not to give him some kind of stimulation as she knew he enjoyed when she did that; but because it kept her grounded while their tongues sought each other out carefully at first inside of his mouth. Drawing him back into her own, she ran her hands down his back, feeling him moving within her, muscles straining with the force of his thrusts which led to an instant rush of literal fire down her spine to join what she felt where he was taking her so roughly.

When he had moved back from her, Castle stared into his wife's eyes and felt his heartbeat seem to speed up for a moment before it stopped. He could see she was close and the way she was almost writhing against him already added more weight to that, making it fact. He leaned down, kissing her quickly before he tried to pull away and kiss her neck. But before he could get too far away from her he was kissing her a second time. That slipped into a third and forth kiss as he couldn't keep himself away from Beckett for all that long. But finally he managed to do it, descending to her collarbone where he proceeded to slide his lips over her skin, shuddering at the feel of it. He wasn't sure which of them was the first to speak; thinking she might have moaned his name; but he broke the relative silence between them more decidedly, telling her, "Come for me my love." He went to her ear and murmured the same phrase again before she was suddenly grasping at him for dear life. He didn't really need much of a push to then follow her and he groaned her name, nearly yelling it, as she cried his as loudly as she could. Their climaxes were intense and he wasn't sure if they might have slipped into a second one. But finally he could feel that she was lying back on the bed, breathing harshly. Thrusting hard twice more, he stopped at last, nearly collapsing on her before he kept from doing that just in time, lowering himself to her carefully.

"You must have been going crazy while I was taking a bath," Beckett murmured, pressing her lips to the side of his head and feeling his hair was slightly moist. She couldn't help smile as he mumbled something against her neck and she stroked the back of his head before he raised it. She took his kiss, not at all surprised that he was very gentle and careful with her, responding to him in turn.

"If I tell you something, promise you won't get angry?" Castle asked her once he'd pulled away from her.

"I can't do that," Beckett said. "You know that already love. What is it?"

"I took a peek at you when you were getting undressed," Castle admitted; having done that in the middle of preparing the room for her.

Smiling at that, Beckett told him simply, "I think you've earned it now. Pervert"

"I'm aware of that," Castle said. "And that's why I was ready for you when you came out."

Shaking her head, Beckett lost the smile still on her face as she drew him to her for another kiss. That one was slightly rougher but still careful until they parted to breathe and she sighed as he carefully moved to lie on his side next to her. She stayed on her back, stretching her arms above her head before resting them on the pillow beneath her. "Do you feel tired?" she asked, studying him then as he was very obviously ogling her form and she got a sudden idea watching that.

"No, do you?" Castle asked, looking back up at her face. But he wasn't able to keep his gaze there for very long, soon reaching down and lightly fondling her breast as she arched her back in response, pressing it against his palm. He leaned down at the same time and kissed her, groaning in pleasure as she was quick to react to him, cupping his face in her hands. He reached down and carefully stroked the outside of her thigh as they couldn't seem to stop kissing.

When she had no choice but to breathe, Beckett pulled back and sighed deeply as Castle's hand found its way back to her chest. She watched him as he caressed her and bit her lower lip hard as his expression was intense. "So you find me that fascinating?" she asked, trying to distract herself from how her heart raced at seeing the way he looked at her. "After all these years."

"I know that's a rhetorical question," Castle said simply. "So I'm not going to reply to it. Also because I'm pretty sure you can tell what my answer would be."

"I think I can," Beckett said, smiling slightly as she watched him kiss his way down from the hollow of her throat to her scar. She sighed a little in reaction to that and she was quick to pull him back up to her lips before they kissed deeply. She cupped his cheek with her hand and suddenly felt him starting to move. She had to quickly stop him and managed to before he pulled back.

"Sorry, I thought you were ready," Castle said simply, slightly contrite in his tone though he was more confused as he'd been sure his wife wanted him.

"Not yet," Beckett said, watching him. She bit her lower lip momentarily and then said, "You know don't you?"

"Know what?" Castle asked.

"That I can still feel you," Beckett replied, sitting up then and pulling her hair back over her shoulders. She smirked when he just looked at her in confusion and she took his hand, lying back against the pillows as she pressed his fingers against her telling him, "Here."

"Fuck love," Castle breathed, staring at her intently. "You have a naughty mouth; and you're a vixen."

"Call me that again and you're sleeping in the library; on the floor," Beckett said, smiling as she readily went along with his taunting her playfully.

"Very cruel, but you wouldn't do it," Castle said simply.

"And what makes you that confident?" Beckett asked even as he was moving to get on top of her.

"This," Castle breathed out easily before he slid into her body. "I can feel you now," he murmured, lowering his head so it was close to hers, their lips brushing with every word he spoke. "You want me Kate."

"I need you…" Beckett moaned softly, closing her eyes as he proceeded to thrust and a little roughly. "More… please," she begged him.

"How much? Tell me and I'll give it to you," Castle said even as he was grabbing her left leg, draping it over his arm as he was moving faster.

"Just fuck me," Beckett implored. "Fuck me as hard as you can Rick."

Not replying to that; since he had already known what she would ask for; Castle proceeded to do as she'd said. It didn't take him very long before he was able to take her hard, groaning as their hips began to smack together quickly as she met his pace. He looked down at her; with him in the position he was in he had to put some distance between them; and watched the way her body was undulating under him as she tried to keep up with him. "Use…" he started to say, before he was struck with a sudden idea before he could finish that.

Beckett looked up at him in slight surprise when he didn't continue and she was suddenly moving at his guidance as he withdrew from her, soon finding herself leaning against the headboard. She cried out slightly in the surprise of his slap to her ass but that was quickly lost as he sank inside of her. The pleasure returned rapidly and she moved with her husband as she could feel him draping her hair over her right shoulder, his lips kissing all around her other one that was bare. Sitting up after a while of feeling him doing that she reached behind her and pushed on the back of his head with her hand until their lips met. The kiss was short as they weren't able to stay together for very long but she didn't mind as she was able to say, "You don't want me on the bed?"

"H-how?" Castle asked as he was thrusting the whole time, enjoying how needy she was for him as he was doing that.

"However you want," Beckett said, biting her lower lip as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly against his chest. She closed her eyes tightly as she could feel him making her entire body ache with the fire he produced with each one of his thrusts and was almost taken by surprise when her husband was laying her back on the mattress, taking her legs. Since she could already sense what he wanted, she was quick to drape her legs over both his shoulders and she clutched at the mattress below her as they picked up their pace again. She cried out heavily, tilting her head back and arching her back at the same time, as he was incredibly deep. She was startled a little from the feel of his back and forth motions when he grabbed her hands and at his direction, grabbed his arms. "Oh… love… don't stop…" she breathed.

At that, Castle suddenly slowed down, not stopping but moving nowhere as quickly as he'd been before. "Don't, you told me however… I want, love," he said, almost sternly as his wife looked like she was going to protest. When she suddenly looked like she was regretting that he bent down; making her legs slide further over him; and captured her lips, groaning with her as at that same time he was speeding up again. He wasn't sure how he was able to do it, but feeling Beckett responding to him rapidly was proof enough that he was pleasuring her. He pulled away after their second rough kiss and descended to her neck before he felt her slowing down. Pulling back to be able to look her in the eye, he grunted when she lightly dug her nails into his skin. "Kate… you need to move," he groaned as she by then was just barely allowing herself a few centimeters of movement along his erection that was throbbing as much as her sex was; an ache that was starting to drive him crazy.

Not replying to that, Beckett moved her legs and pushed him away from her enough so he got off of her and she sat up on her knees in front of him as he was quick to do the same. Wrapping her arms around his neck she kissed him, surprised that he didn't try to stop her but instead was slipping his tongue into her mouth. She then froze as he was picking her up slightly before lowering her onto his member. She had to end the kiss as the feel of him made a moan rip out of her throat and she pressed her forehead against his as they were both still once they had coupled together again, feeling each others breath against their lips.

Castle was about to start thrusting again when his wife leaned down slightly to whisper into his ear. At her request he looked at her and saw that she was serious, so he did what she'd asked, laying her down without breaking their contact. He placed her right ankle on his shoulder and let her slide her other leg in between his. Kissing her hungrily he began to thrust again as he slipped his tongue out to flick against her lower lip. As they were playfully fighting he reached up to her leg that was on his shoulder, rubbing up and down it slowly to begin to caress her. He wasn't surprised when she broke their kiss at that but was quick to follow her to start nibbling at her lower lip. When she lost her rhythm slightly he slowed down enough for her to catch up with him, moving away from her. He stared into her eyes before they were rushing to kiss and he could tell by the way she was moving that she was close. Instead of trying to delay her peak he moved fast again, trying to feel when she would reach it.

Beckett was holding onto the edges of the pillow underneath her head, thrusting against her husband as hard as she could manage. She was a little dazed as everything became rougher and the pleasure in her body seemed to strengthen exponentially before she broke. Nearly screaming his name, her hand reached down to his arm, clutching at it as tightly as she could while the other dug into the pillow. She felt him joining her in his own climax and she almost cut into his skin as she was brought to ecstasy yet again. In the roar of her heartbeat in her ears, she didn't hear herself crying out to her husband, begging him to make her come again.

Though he wasn't able to fulfill her demand, Castle still had the feeling his wife was satisfied, if the way she slumped fully back onto the bed was any indication of it. He somehow managed to keep himself up on his arms, watching the way she was breathing deeply, her eyes closed. When he felt a jolt of arousal go through him he didn't question it, knowing he would have been more surprised if he hadn't felt that looking at her. Carefully he pulled away from her, lying on his side as she opened her eyes and looked at him, turning onto her side. "You're ready now?" he asked her.

Beckett smirked slightly at the vagueness of that as she sat up again and started to run her fingers through her hair. She was a little taken aback when her husband didn't follow her and said, "Are you?"

"Not really," Castle said, taking a little long to reply to her as he had been more involved in watching her than listening to her. "Sorry," he said, sitting up. As she started to look at him he cupped her cheek and kissed her sensuously before she could react to that. But as she wrapped her arms around him he had her reaction in that and he deepened the kiss hurriedly, holding her tightly to him then as he wanted her closer to him.

Stroking the back of her husband's head, Beckett broke off the kiss and murmured a quick apology to him. When he brushed his lips to hers she felt relieved he understood what she was doing and she lay back as he watched her. Smiling at him as he laid on his side once she had settled, she reached up and brushed her fingers very carefully on his bruise.

Sighing, Castle reached down to the bottom of the bed, pulling the covers back up over them, though he was still not fully satisfied. "There's something I wanted to ask you love," he said once they were both covered and he was on his side next to her; pressed close; once more.

"Hmm?" Beckett asked absently as she stretched her arms over her head.

"You know how we were doing the Samba roll earlier?" Castle said. When she looked at him he asked, "You ever think about doing that?"

"Learning how to dance?" Beckett said, though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah, you know it would be pretty nice to get to do that," Castle replied. Seeing the doubtful look on her face he quickly said, "Come on, you wouldn't want to learn to Waltz? Or Tango?" He paused then for a while and said, "The Rumba?"

Smiling at that Beckett said, "I was surprised that wasn't the first thing out of your mouth."

"I know, weird wasn't it… the Waltz?" Castle said to himself absently as he looked over at the fire.

Leaning up on her elbows, Beckett followed the direction of his gaze and smiled at the sight of the flames before she told him, "You wouldn't feel strange learning those kinds of dances?"

"I know you felt weird doing that roll but I think that's more because we were just doing one move," Castle pointed out. "If we did a full dance…" He saw the hesitation on her face again and then said, "Alright, we don't need to, but it would be fun."

"Maybe someday in the future love," Beckett said as she lay back down and watched him stay sitting up. "Are you fantasizing about me dancing with you?" she asked teasingly as she knew what the look on his face meant.

"I… okay, I am, but come on," Castle protested. "I can see you dancing a Rumba so easily."

"That's because I was just doing a horizontal one with you," Beckett said. "And the vertical one doesn't look the same."

"Still, I'm going to remind you of that maybe," Castle said, turning to lay down half on her as she cupped his cheeks. "In the future."

"Key word being future," Beckett said. " _You and I have a lot for now_."

Smiling at her use of Irish Castle replied, " _We do, and I think you're talking about us aren't you_?"

Beckett didn't reply to that, instead she kissed him briefly before she started to run the tip of her finger around his lips. When he started to kiss at her she shivered a little heavily, unable to suppress what he was making her feel.

Seeing that easily, Castle closed the gap between them and kissed her again, feeling her running her nails down his skin. That time it was his turn to shudder and he groaned as it felt like it was unending, though in no means displeasing. When she finally stopped he had to make himself pull away from his wife and he got out of the bed before he pushed her further than she wanted.

"Love, come here," Beckett said, going over to him before he could reach the window. "You're naked."

"And the windows are tinted you know," Castle said as he let her take him back to the bed. He was going to say something else; about being relieved she wanted to keep him to herself; but he wasn't able to continue since she was pulling him onto the mattress after pulling the covers out of the way for them. As if she had explained to him what she wanted in one glance, he laid on his side behind her, pulling her tightly to him while he slid his right arm under her neck and his other hand cupped her breast. Gently squeezing it, he smiled as she reached back to hold onto the back of his shoulder as they began to kiss. Since she was smiling as well, their kisses were a little chaste and brief, but no less agreeable he knew as she wouldn't stop. "Are you sure you want to stop?" he murmured against her lips.

"Mmm, I don't know," Beckett said. "I might change my mind."

"What would make that 'I have changed'?" Castle asked as he kissed her temple.

Giving a mock suffering sigh, Beckett looked up at the ceiling, feeling her husband cuddling her closer, before she smiled. "Prove that it'll be worth it," she teased him.

"And what would be the best way to do that?" Castle inquired, his tone of voice becoming slightly husky as he was already thinking of the many suggestions she could have for him. When she didn't reply, but instead moved out of his embrace he watched her as his heartbeat started to speed up again.

Turning and laying on him as he'd done to her before, Beckett stared at him, wanting to make him a little uncomfortable and frustrated; if she could. When he started to look a little doubtful, she took that as her cue and she kissed him hungrily before he could react.

It took Castle an instant to recover from the surprise of that kiss but as soon as he had he was taking over, unable to help doing that, especially since she allowed him to. He felt his excitement rising and with that he knew she had changed her mind. But though he knew they would need to get some kind of rest before they went back to their case the next day he couldn't help but desire teasing her as she'd done to him. So he moved away from her and was about to turn her onto her back before she stopped him by sliding down to his chest, starting to kiss around his bare skin making him grunt in pleasure at the sensation of her lips, making him feel a literal bolt of electricity.

Going as far down as she dared, Beckett went back up by sliding her lips over his chest, through the middle until she jumped to his chin. Going over that she hovered above his face as she said amorously to him, "I love you Rick."

"I love you too Kate," Castle told her in the same tone of voice. He reached for the back of her head and gently pulled her down to him to close the gap between them. Their lips meeting in a very gentle kiss at first he sat up with her and as she straddled his lap he wrapped his arms around her tightly, helping her lower herself on him. Their mutual groan of pleasure made them part but they clung to each other and he made sure to hold onto the small of her back as securely as he could.

"I should tell you," Beckett said to him with a smile as she nuzzled her lips against his for a moment. "You changed my mind."

Castle couldn't help laugh slightly at that, not surprised when his wife moaned a little in pleasure, and he then said, "I know, any fatigue I had is pretty much gone at this point."

"Good, since mine's gone too," Beckett said with a smile before she and her husband grew serious at the same time.

With that they began to move together, a little slowly at first before they shortly began to pick up speed. Taking one another as hard as they could, they forgot about everything but themselves as they were quick to try and outdo the other in their pleasuring. Time lost its importance while they were doing that and they allowed it to happen gladly. And Castle and Beckett couldn't stop doing everything they could to drive one another to the heights of ecstasy; craving that more than any kind of rest as they indulged in their addiction to each other.


	7. To Even Listen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song You Won't See Me by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, from The Beatles album Rubber Soul.

Watching Castle as he let himself fall back on the bed, Beckett smiled slightly and said, "Really?"

"Come on, you didn't enjoy that?" he asked her, running his hand over the small of her back. When she just shrugged, he smiled at her and grabbed her by the waist, flipping her around onto her back. "Then why don't I try again?" he teased her.

Beckett was going to reply to that when all of a sudden the alarm on his clock went off and she sighed in frustration. " _Later love_ ," she told him as he pulled away from her. She watched him get up then after the alarm was silenced and admired him walking naked over to their clothes that were on her side of the bed.

"You don't want to get up?" Castle asked as he turned to her and handed her her robe. "You could stay there and I'll take Julia to school."

"And when you come back?" Beckett asked wryly as she got up and brushed aside his hand that was still holding out her robe. She made him put it down before he could reply and then pulled him towards the bathroom as he began to speak.

"When I come back I'll do whatever you want," Castle told her.

"Even if it's to go in to the station?" Beckett asked over her shoulder as she was turning on the showerhead.

"Sure, but I get the feeling you wouldn't want that," Castle said, following her into the stall before he closed the door. Turning to his wife he was a little startled when she suddenly kissed him, but it was only for a brief second. Taking her in his embrace he kissed her back a little roughly as he felt her hands running over his shoulders. They kept tilting their heads back and forth before he was the first to end it and he pressed his forehead to hers saying, "You don't do you?"

"You didn't really have to ask," Beckett said. "But…"

"I know," Castle said as she trailed off. " _Later like you promised me_ Kate."

"I didn't promise you anything," Beckett said, pushing him on the shoulder slightly. She watched him pretend to stagger before he began to prepare to wash her body for her and she allowed him to as she wasn't complaining about the view of him doing that.

"You-" Castle started to say before she did the same for him. As soon as they had stepped out from under the water he was shutting it off in a hurry, grabbing her towel to dry her off.

"Wait, easy," Beckett told him as she was a little surprised at how fast he was going. She made him stop and as he looked at her she pulled him down to her enough so she could brush her lips against his. "I let you have me twice," she told him as he was able to dry her a lot more carefully and slowly after she'd calmed him.

"Yes… you know not a lot of wives would do that," Castle commented absently, toweling off the water on her abdomen before going to her legs.

"And by wives you mean…" Beckett asked.

"Yeah, my ex-wives," Castle said simply, not looking at her. "Okay, so you can-" he started to say before he was suddenly hissing as she carefully started to dry him off, starting with his abdomen and groin at the same time. "This is why I go back and forth, I don't know how to read you with this," he told her as she moved on then.

"Sorry, it was better to get that done with first," Beckett replied. "Come on," she told him, letting him take the towel. She went out into the room and started to dress, relieved when he didn't try to come over to her to start a third bout. Going over to the windows when she was finished she looked out at the beach and said, "Looks like a nice day."

"Yeah," Castle said, going over to her then and seeing the sun was out. "It'll be a nice walk."

"What're you thinking?" Beckett asked, looking at him.

"No, they're transferring Fern out this morning right?" Castle asked.

"They are," Beckett said, a slight frown on her face. "I'm a little unsure about Seymour though."

"I would be too," Castle said, having been able to tell that. "Though that's a surprise."

"I realize I'm never really unsure talking to someone, but her situation I've never really come up against before," Beckett said. "But I've thought about it and I'll just have to talk to her frankly about the affair."

"Ah, there you are, you're back Detective Beckett," Castle said, watching her start pulling a pair of boots on she'd brought from their closet. He went to her as she glanced at him and kneeled in front of her, helping her get it on. "What?" he asked, looking up at her as he allowed her to zip up the shoe herself.

"You're coming back to the dark side," Beckett told him teasingly as he put her other boot on for her.

"The dark side?" Castle asked. "Oh no love, you're nowhere near the dark side. I'd say more nirvana," he said. He couldn't help laughing when she pushed him away; though he was already done by then; and he stood up telling her, "I'm gunning for that later."

"I noticed," Beckett said wryly. "Now come on, we need to get the girls up and ready."

"Right behind you," Castle said. He was startled when she stopped at their door before she unlocked it and when she turned to him asked, "Yes?"

"You should realize I'm not going to be able to get the possibilities for that out of my mind," Beckett said, holding his gaze.

"Oh don't worry love, I'll have that same problem too," Castle said. He then leaned down and kissed her carefully on the lips, feeling her quick to respond. Though he wanted to make it deeper he kept the kiss careful, pulling away at the same time she did before he pressed his forehead against hers. "Love you," he murmured.

"I love you too," Beckett replied. She then took a step back and seeing him visibly shaking himself from their moment she smiled as she said, "Come on."

Nodding as she unlocked the door, Castle followed her out and down the hall to Julia's room, seeing their daughter was still fast asleep. He watched as Beckett sat next to her, kissing her temple before the little girl started to squirm in response, opening her eyes soon after that.

Looking up at her mother, Julia sighed saying, "It's morning?" her voice still thick with sleep.

"It is, come on sweetie we need to get Eliza up," Beckett told her.

"I'll get up," Julia replied, sitting up as her mother stood. "Morning," she said, looking at both her parents.

"Morning," Castle said with a smile as he went to her, kissing the top of her head.

"Daddy, you're still-" Julia started to ask.

"Yes, don't worry," Castle told her. "Go ahead and get dressed and once you and Eliza are down then you can tell me what to do."

"I'm not sure why you're so vague about that around me still," Beckett said in amusement as they were walking down the hall to Eliza's room.

"They still want to surprise you," Castle pointed out as he was the first to go in. "Oh, someone's impatient today," he said as he saw that the toddler was sitting up in her bed.

"Morning sweetie," Beckett said, going over to her.

"Morning," Eliza said with a wide yawn.

"Maybe she needs to go back to sleep," Castle said jokingly. He couldn't help but laugh slightly as Eliza wrinkled her nose at him and he said, "I'll go ahead and get everything started." Before he left he shared a kiss with the toddler and pressed a kiss to the side of Beckett's neck exposed with her hair up in a ponytail. When he had stepped out of the room he saw his mother coming out of hers. "Good morning," he told her.

"I thought I'd heard someone moving around," Martha replied with a smile. "I'll see if Kate needs any help with Eliza."

Not surprised when she went straight to the room, Castle headed downstairs as he heard Julia asking her mother if she would style her hair for her. "I can do it," he called from the bottom of the staircase.

"No, you have to cook Daddy," Julia called back immediately.

"Tell me when you're ready," Beckett said from Eliza's room. "You have her?" she asked Martha. At her mother in law's nod she went over to Julia who was brushing her hair.

"Gram's up?" the little girl asked with a smile as her mother came up behind her in the mirror. "Mommy," she complained when Beckett started to tuck in her uniform shirt.

"You know the rules," she replied simply. "Okay, what do you want me to do?"

"Two braids," Julia said. "Can we go downstairs and do it?"

"I'm pretty sure it's going to take him a little before he can make my coffee," Beckett said, though she then gestured for Julia to go get her brush.

"Still, he's all by himself," Julia pointed out. "We can keep him company."

"Very true," Beckett said with a smile as she headed downstairs with her daughter.

"Hey, I thought I had to cook," Castle said jokingly as he looked over from the crêpes he was making.

"You do, she wants me to make braided pigtails," Beckett told him as she pulled one of the chairs at the island back a little. Making sure Julia got up onto it alright, she then proceeded to part her hair, smiling when the little girl shivered at the feel of that. "So you have everything ready in your backpack?"

"Yeah, I didn't have a lot of homework," Julia said. "I hope I don't have a lot today."

"You'll have to see how things go," Castle replied, putting some strawberry jam and peanut butter into the first crêpe. "But you know there's a chance we might not be home as early as we were yesterday."

"I know," Julia sighed. "I just wish Mari could have come with us yesterday."

"Yeah, why didn't she go home with you?" Castle said.

"Rebecca's parents stopped by," Beckett reminded him as Julia had said that on the way back from the fabric store. "Did they only stay yesterday?" she asked their daughter.

"Yes, can she come today?" Julia asked hopefully.

"She can," Beckett replied. "We'll ask when we go to get Mari."

"And she can have dinner here too?" Julia then said, sounding eager.

"She can, but you need to make sure you two aren't too much for your gram to handle remember," Castle said, getting a second crêpe on a plate.

"I'll be fine with them Richard," Martha said, coming to them with Eliza on her hip. "And this one has been asking over and over about coming to see her mother's surprise."

"Not yet," Julia said as she climbed down from the chair as her mother had finished her hair. She then took her little sister's hand and took her over to their parents' office telling her, "We need to think of what Daddy puts for Mommy."

"It's a conspiracy," Castle said as he turned to a second plate and saw his wife looking over to where their daughters had gone.

"I nearly forgot, my phone," Martha said then. "Oh, and don't make me any coffee," she told her son.

"You're going to the bakery again?" Beckett asked with a smile.

"Of course, but we only go for coffee," Martha assured her. "I also get Eliza a little cup of orange juice, but just that."

"Don't worry," Beckett said. "I didn't think you were taking her there for their desserts."

"Speaking of desserts," Castle said, getting another crepe out of the pan. "Think you can pick up something for them for tonight?" He glanced at his wife and said, "If that's alright with you of course love."

"It is," Beckett said with a sigh, shaking her head though she was smiling at how quick he was to add that.

"I'll get something for us all," Martha said before she left the room.

"Anything from Brad?" Castle asked once they were alone.

"A text," Beckett said simply. "Seymour's being sent home later today."

"What home?" Castle asked. "I can't imagine that woman who was there yesterday would let her back."

"I know, we'll ask when we go in," Beckett replied. "He didn't mention anything about the baby."

"Was he early?" Castle said.

"I don't know," Beckett replied. "I'll have to ask her when I go in to talk with her."

"I just hope she'll tell you," Castle said as he finished the last plate. "Girls- oh, right on time, I'm going to start now."

Hurrying over to him, Julia pulled on his arm until he was leaning down towards her and she whispered into his ear. "Can you do that?" she asked.

"We'll see," Castle told her simply before he turned back to the machine.

Going to the table to set out the forks and knives, Julia smiled at her little sister already in her high chair and nodded to her once. She giggled when the toddler clapped her hands before she gave her her fork. "Where's Gram?" she asked.

"I'm here, just checking on any messages I got," Martha was saying absently as she walked over to them. "Nothing, well, I am on vacation so that shouldn't be a surprise."

"Do you mind her with you again?" Beckett asked, as Eliza's high chair was still next to where she sat.

"Of course not, I'm here to see them," Martha replied. "You have everything set for what you want me to do with her today?"

"It's in our office," Castle said finishing his cup of coffee as Beckett got all the plates onto the table. "I'll get everything before we go."

"Gram, my dress?" Eliza asked as she watched Martha cutting her crepe.

"Later on, when Julia's home," Castle's mother replied. "That way she's here to watch."

"Whose dress are you going to make first," Julia asked.

"I think I need to work on yours, since you'll need it for school," Martha said, wiping off Eliza's mouth with her napkin after she'd taken her first bite.

"I can't wait," Julia said eagerly. She then paused as her father set down one of the mugs in his hands in front of Beckett and she waited for her reaction.

"A good choice," Beckett said when she saw the snowflake in the foam on top. She smiled at the girls and said, "What did you tell him to do? It took you longer than just saying a snowflake."

"That he needed to make a different one," Julia replied, her sister nodding at her words.

Smiling, Beckett waited for Castle to sit down before she kissed him on the lips carefully. "Thank you," she told him as she pulled back.

"You're very welcome," Castle told her with a responding smile. "I'm always happy to do it."

"That's because you're expecting that kind of reward," Beckett said wryly as they started to eat. "But since I don't mind doling that out…"

Castle didn't reply to that, sipping his coffee before he watched Julia telling her grandmother about her dance class that day. "Are you still going to be working on the Samba?" he asked.

"I don't know, I thought we were gonna do the Jive, maybe she'll do both," Julia said.

"And which one will you like more?" Martha asked.

Julia was about to answer that before paused, looking a little confused before she finally shrugged, "I like both, so I don't think I'll have one I like more."

"Did your teacher ever say when you're going to be working on your Paso Doble again?" Beckett asked, since she knew that the little girl particularly enjoyed that dance.

"I think after Christmas," Julia said. She was going to speak when her little sister suddenly hit her plate with her fork, and they all looked over at her.

"Chri'mas, Chri'mas!" Eliza cried before Martha grabbed her hand to stop her fork.

"Yeah we're pretty close," Castle said as the toddler giggled as her grandmother got a piece of her crêpe for her. "But we've still got school and writing to do."

"Me too?" Eliza asked.

"You will now your gram is here," Beckett replied. "And we still have work."

"Do you have to go in now?" Julia asked disappointedly.

"Not yet, we'll go with you to school," Beckett said quickly. "Finish your breakfast though or we'll have to go in the car."

Nodding; though they'd never had to do that; Julia continued to eat, watching her parents as they spoke a little quietly together. She had to wonder what her father had gotten for Beckett again; her sister bringing Christmas up making her think of that. But since nothing really came to mind she hurriedly finished her milk and crêpes before helping Castle clear up the table.

"Alright Eliza," Beckett said, going to the toddler. "You didn't make as much of a mess this time…" she said, wiping the syrup that had been on her crêpes off her mouth.

"Do I go too?" Eliza asked hopefully as she stood up before her mother picked her up.

"You can, it's not too cold today either," Beckett replied, carrying her over to the bathroom. "And your gram is taking you to the bakery today, so you're going to have a little trip before you come back and get down to work." She smiled when the toddler cheered and said, "You can help your gram pick out dessert tonight you know."

Her eyes wide, Eliza asked, "Me?"

"Mmm-hmm, since you're going to be with her, I don't see why you couldn't," Beckett said. "But she has to agree with it okay?" At her nod, she finished cleaning her up and took her out to the entry where the others were bundling up to go. "You heard that?" she asked her mother in law as Eliza ran to her.

"I did, and I'm glad to have some help," Martha said. "And I just remembered; I have some gifts left to wrap, so I could use some help with that too."

"I'll do it," Julia said excitedly as she was buttoning her coat.

"Wonderful, now hurry so we can get Mari," Martha said, buttoning the last one for her.

When everyone had their outer layers set, Julia and Eliza walked with Martha ahead of Castle and Beckett, who were reading a text that Brad had sent them.

"What do you think?" Castle asked his wife.

"I'm not sure," Beckett replied sincerely. "Do you think she would try and hinder the investigation?"

"Brad knows her, so no I don't think she would," Castle said, as Susannah Harper had told the chief that there had been a few people visiting the vic prior to the murder and had sent a list of names that she could remember. "Plus it would look bad for her if she stalled the investigation."

"We'll have to see what they get," Beckett replied.

"So we're going straight back home?" Castle asked as they stopped in front of the Foster home and Julia hurried to the front door.

"After we take them to school," Beckett said. She watched in surprise as Mari came out with Rebecca and David and she said, "You two are coming with us?"

"I need to get out of the house," Rebecca replied with a smile. "Luckily the weather worked with me today."

"How are you?" Beckett asked as she walked with her friend behind the three girls who were with Martha.

"Good, tired," Rebecca said, glancing over her shoulder at her husband momentarily. "How goes the case?"

"We might have a lead, we're not sure," Beckett said. "What was in the _Report_ this morning?"

"Not much, just that the police had no new leads. But there was something about an altercation in the hospital?" Rebecca asked.

"Yeah, that was him," Beckett said, motioning over her shoulder to Castle. She quickly explained what had happened, but hadn't given details about what her husband had talked to Fern about.

"Oh, you don't need to keep things under wraps if you're talking about Nesta," Rebecca replied.

"It's… you know her too?" Beckett asked in surprise.

"Of course, we used to live next door to her mother," Rebecca replied. "Back when we first got married. She's nice, but you should know her husband is ridiculously possessive."

"That might be a reason for the affair," Beckett mused. "But were they in love at all?"

"Yes, but the situation with them not having kids has probably soured it," Rebecca said. "So if the rumors are true and the baby is Antonio's I think I know why she strayed."

"I'm starting to get the feeling I do too, and I've only met her once in the past three years that I've been living here," Beckett said with a slight frown. She quickly shook herself of her thoughts since by then they'd reached the school and she said, "Can they take her home today this time?"

"Oh sure, we weren't expecting my parents, but my mom's been so worried about me I should have known," Rebecca said wryly, looking at her daughter who was watching them interestedly. "But yes, Mari, go home with Julia and we'll see you after dinner, no later than seven okay?"

"Not six?" David asked.

"Seven, David," Rebecca said, shaking her head at him but smiling as she did so. "Mind if we walk back with you two?"

"We'll meet you down here," Castle said before they split up. "David told me about Fern and Seymour," he said in a quick whisper to his wife.

"I know, Rebecca told me," Beckett replied. When she'd finished speaking, they'd reached Julia's classroom, and they hurriedly said goodbye to the little girl so she could make it inside before the bell rang. Going outside of the elementary school building, she was carrying Eliza and she kissed the toddler's temple saying, "We're going to go to work, so have a great day with your gram."

"Kay, come home fast," Eliza told her before they shared a kiss.

"We'll try," Castle said as he took her and shared a kiss with her. "Have fun playing."

"I will," Eliza said, a wide smile on her face as they told her they loved her before she was put on the ground, telling them she loved them in turn. Going over to her grandmother she took her hand and she waved at her parents before they went to the sidewalk to head downtown.

"Where are they going?" Rebecca asked as the four of them started to head back to their homes.

"The café that has the bakery in it," Castle replied. "My mom prefers the coffee there."

"Oh, there's something I wanted to ask," Rebecca then said. "What about our get together?"

"That's up to you," Beckett said.

"It would help if we could do it during the week," David said. "Unless you want to do it the last weekend before Christmas."

"Why don't we have it on the twenty-third," Castle suggested. "Alexis will be here, so it'll be a big get together."

"Sounds great," Rebecca said, looking at her husband who was looking at his phone. "David."

"Sorry, checking my calendar and that's perfect, at that point I'm off from the campaign for the holidays," he said, looking at them. They'd reached their house by then, so he said, "You two going in?"

"Yeah, we need to look into some things," Castle said.

"Next week come for lunch," Rebecca said. "We were going to invite you this week, but the case came up."

"Next week," Beckett promised as she shared a look with her husband and he nodded. "And we'll see you when we bring Mari home."

"We will, good luck," Rebecca said before she and David walked down the path to their front door.

"I don't really have the heart to tell her that sounds a little weird," Beckett said once they were walking to their house.

"I know, but what else is she supposed to say?" Castle asked. "Have a great day, hope you find the killer?"

Beckett shrugged and once inside the house followed him to the garage. She took the keys from his hand and made him stop as she called the chief on her phone.

"Hey Beckett, Castle," Brad said, sounding stressed.

"Is there something wrong?" Beckett asked, looking up at her husband.

"It's the mayor, he's pressing for us to look into the Argentina angle of this case more," Brad told them. "But I'm more of the idea-"

"It has to do with Antonio's teaching," Castle finished for him.

"I think it's more local," Brad corrected him. "So I'm wondering if you two could do me a huge favor."

"Go to the hospital directly and talk to Seymour?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah," Brad said. "I'm looking through the names Susannah gave to us and we're still going through the full list of his clients."

"We're on our way right now," Castle replied.

"Great, and Rick? Don't get into another fight," Brad told him.

"Yeah, I'm sure my wife agrees with you," Castle said.

"Do we have permission to see her?" Beckett said after giving him a brief look.

"You do, I called the hospital and the nurses say she's alright with talking to you Kate," Brad replied.

"Okay, we'll head to the station as soon as I'm finished," Beckett said quickly. When they'd said goodbye to the chief she said, "You don't have to come."

"It's alright, but I'm driving," Castle said, trying to take the keys back from her. But before he could she moved them out of the way and he muttered, "I thought we were in a hurry," though there wasn't any kind of annoyance there as he leaned down and kissed her.

When they had parted, Beckett followed Castle to the car, and as he drove them to the hospital she was lost in thought.

"Are you changing your strategy for talking to her?" Castle asked, glancing over at her.

"No, I'm just wondering about this baby," Beckett said. "If it'll be okay…"

"I was thinking about that too," Castle said. "Hopefully his mother loves him."

Beckett only nodded at that as he was parking at the hospital, and she led the way back to the maternity ward, going to the nurses' station as her husband sat in the waiting room. "Hello, I'm Kate Beckett-" she started to say.

"Ms. Beckett," the man said behind the counter. "Yes, we've been waiting for you; I'll take you in to see Ms. Seymour." He took her down the hall past the desk and led her to a sink. "For the newborns' protection," he told her.

"I remember," Beckett said with a nod as she took off her gloves and washed her hands. She followed the nurse down the hall to a room with a closed door, hearing a slightly strained voice telling them to come in at his knock.

"This is Ms. Beckett," the nurse said from the open doorway. "Are you alright to speak with her now?"

"Of course, thank you," Seymour said with a faint smile at the man. "We've already met Ms. Beckett," she said as she closed the door behind her and came to stand next to where she was on the bed.

"You can call me Kate," Beckett said quickly, having realized how she needed to talk to the woman after glancing at her. Seeing her red eyes, but the joy on her face looking down at her son, she had an idea of what she was going to be told if the woman would share with her.

"Then call me Nesta," Seymour replied.

"He's beautiful," Beckett said, leaning over and smiling at the barely day old baby in her arms. "What's his name?"

"Christopher," Seymour replied. "And he's the reason you're here with me I know. Well, his father anyways."

"It is, do you mind if I sit?" Beckett asked.

"Please," Seymour replied. She watched as Beckett grabbed a chair and carried it over and she asked, "I've heard you have two daughters?"

"I do, I actually gave birth to my youngest a little further down the hall," Beckett said. "You're doing alright?"

"Exhausted, of course, but I'm fine," Seymour replied. "Brad; the chief told me that you talked to Alan."

"My husband did," Beckett said. "And my mother in law and my friend Rebecca Foster have told me a little about your… marriage."

"Yes, did they tell you that Alan eventually began to blame me for us not having a child?" Seymour asked, sounding a little angry before she visibly tried to control that.

"I was told, but I was hoping it was just town gossip," Beckett replied.

"No, they were right this time," Seymour said with a sigh. "We started fighting… and nine months ago I strayed."

"How did you meet Antonio," Beckett asked gently.

"You knew him?" Seymour asked instead of replying.

"Just as an acquaintance," Beckett said. "He would compete against my husband sometimes."

"Right, he plays polo too," Seymour said. "I decided to learn to play polo because I was tired of being resented," she began. "I thought it'd be an escape, plus some friends of mine were on the team already. And Antonio was our instructor but… I never set out to have an affair. I thought after Alan and I got the news we could adopt or maybe see if a surrogate might not work. But then…"

Beckett was quiet, watching as Seymour looked down at her son to wait and see if she would want to continue.

"He was so attentive to me," Seymour whispered, finally tearing her gaze from her son. "And it had been a long time since Alan had been like that to me that I couldn't stop myself."

"How long were you seeing him?" Beckett asked before she was startled by the momentary shock on the woman's face.

"I never really saw him, it was just once," Seymour said. "I wanted to be with someone who loved me, but I regretted it after Antonio and I were… together. He wanted more but I had to tell him no, I couldn't do it."

"What happened with your husband when you told him that you were pregnant?" Beckett asked, bracing herself for the woman's anger since that was a personal question.

"It wasn't entirely impossible for us to have a baby," Seymour began. "The doctor just said that if we did get pregnant it was going to be a miracle. So he believed that, until Antonio sent me that money it was then that I could finally convince him that the baby wasn't his."

"You had that PO box," Beckett said then. "What did you have it for if you weren't in contact with him?"

"A box for that? That's a little cloak and dagger," Seymour said. "No, what that was for was me getting ready to divorce Alan. I got it shortly after I discovered I was pregnant."

"Was there a confrontation when he saw that money?" Beckett asked.

"He was angrier at me than at Antonio," Seymour replied. "If you're thinking that Alan killed him." She sighed and looked down at her son, rocking him a little before she said, "He almost tossed me out before he changed his mind suddenly, and kept me there."

"As a form of torture," Beckett said.

"Yeah, you could tell after meeting him, after that altercation?" Seymour asked. When Beckett nodded she continued saying, "He compounded it by having his mother move in with us, and she made my life hell since of course he told her this baby wasn't her grandchild. So as soon as I'm released with Christopher, I'm moving in with my mother."

"We already cleared your… Alan, from committing the murder," Beckett said then as she had to feel sorry for the woman since she knew Seymour hadn't been able to leave Fern's house since she'd been on bed rest.

"Is it true that he tried to commit suicide?" Seymour asked. When Beckett nodded she closed her eyes tightly and then started to shake roughly, jolting the baby awake.

Hurriedly Beckett stood and took the infant in her arms, placing one hand on Seymour's shoulder, not saying anything as the woman started to cry.

"I'm sorry," she said when she'd managed to control her tears. "It's just Alan and I were so in love when we first met. We told each other that we were going to do everything we could to make the marriage work out and then he got it into his head that we absolutely had to have kids. Things just went downhill from there."

Beckett couldn't find anything to say to that so she instead tried to distract the woman by putting Seymour's son in her arms. "I'm wondering if I can ask you something that might help us find Antonio's killer," she said carefully as she sat back down.

"Go ahead," Seymour said, looking back at her.

"Do you know anyone that Antonio had problems with? A client or… a client's husband maybe," Beckett said.

"Yes, two names come to mind," Seymour said with a sigh. "Leo Algrant; whose wife was on my team; tried her hardest to come on to him, and Simon Tillyard who wanted him himself but Antonio wasn't bisexual so…"

"What did you notice with them that makes you think they'd be worth mentioning?" Beckett asked.

Seymour smiled briefly and said, "I'd heard you used to be a detective." She then grew serious as she said, "Leo was always at the practices and games and he would glare at Antonio, and I'm not talking about a look that you could pass off. It was a look that you'd be glad couldn't kill. And with Simon, he was Antonio's assistant, and he would argue with him in Spanish which he knew."

"And you do too," Beckett said.

"And I also caught them in the stables where we'd practice, Simon trying to get Antonio to go home with him," Seymour said with a sigh. "Antonio shoved him away and warned him that if he did that again he'd fire him and have him arrested for sexual harassment. Simon said he'd regret that and after he was gone, he nearly started whipping a horse, but I stopped him by letting him know I was there. He stopped, since Antonio hates nothing more than someone who whips an animal… any animal." She then frowned and whispered, "I mean he hated that."

"Is there anything else? Did he ever tell you anything about being from Argentina?" Beckett asked as she typed the names out on a text message she sent to Brad and Castle.

"Not really, just that he was born there," Seymour said. "I tried not to get to know him. But he mentioned his cousin a lot, I think they were close; he wished he wasn't so afraid of horses."

"Nothing about a race track," Beckett said, not wanting to mention it but needing to see if that jogged the woman's memory.

"No," Seymour replied, looking confused at that.

"Okay, that's all I have to ask you," Beckett said, standing up.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more help," Seymour replied.

"You've given us two names," Beckett said quickly. She then reached into her coat pocket and took out her notepad, writing her cell phone number on it. Setting the paper down on the nightstand next to the woman she told her, "If you remember anything else you can call the police or me."

"I will, I hope you're able to find him," Seymour replied.

Nodding once to the woman, Beckett then left, coming face to face with an older woman who looked a lot like Seymour. "Mrs. Seymour," she said, nodding to her.

"It's alright Mom," Seymour said from inside the room. "She's a friend, she came to see Christopher."

"Are you sure Nesta?" Mrs. Seymour asked.

"Mom, she is. I'm sorry Kate," Seymour said.

"It's alright, he is a beautiful baby, congratulations," Beckett said before she hurriedly left.

"Well?" Castle asked. "I saw what looked like Seymour's mother go in," he said as he stood when she walked up to him.

"It was, she was suspicious I was there to check out the baby that apparently the whole town knows is her daughter's lover's son," Beckett said. "Did you get the names?"

"I did, I called Brad, but he says we need to check these two out specifically because-" Castle started to say when her phone rang.

"It's Esposito," Beckett said, reading the text she'd gotten. "He heard from the FBI and they got Moreno while he was trying to get on a train from Albany to go down to DC."

"So is he our killer?" Castle asked.

"No, he was dealing drugs," Beckett said. "And he's from another crime family in Buenos Aires."

"So does that make the Argentina angle of the case less likely or it's just not Moreno?" Castle said as they were in the elevator.

"It's just not Moreno," Beckett replied as she then got a text from the chief. "Yeah, he just called the mayor after getting Espo's text; the mayor's still pushing that perspective."

"Because it's better for him if the killer isn't a local," Castle said. "So we'll have to look at those names. But what about Seymour, what'd she say?"

Beckett related what the woman had told her as she and her husband were driving out to the station, and when she'd finished told him, "You said Brad was going to put Fern on suicide watch right?"

"Naturally," Castle said as he parked. "He knows that Fern's going to be a big risk right now. I'm not crazy for still pressing charges right?"

"No, it needs to be done," Beckett replied. "Maybe after a divorce he'll shape up."

"I don't know love," Castle said before they got to the doors. "It might destroy him too."

"He kept her in his house even after he found out the baby wasn't his," Beckett said then, putting her hand on his arm to keep him from opening the door. "And invited his mother in law who hated her to stay with them."

Wincing as he clearly remembered Fern's mother, Castle said, "I say we should suggest a restraining order to Seymour, for her and the baby."

"Definitely," Beckett said with nod as they went inside then and found Brad was waiting in the lobby.

"You got my text?" the chief asked them.

"We did, why?" Castle asked, sharing a look with his wife.

"The mayor's backed off slightly now, but the FBI might be coming in to pick up my reports of the cocaine dealing here in town. They think there may be a connection with the family Moreno works for," Brad told them. "I'm unsure if your side of the investigation is going to be pointless, so I wanted to warn you."

"At least you did," Beckett said as he led them into the bull pen. "But those names might be a solid lead."

"Tell me what she said," Brad said as he didn't stop until he was in his office.

Beckett told the chief what she'd been told by Seymour and when she'd finished said, "We can easily take a look at those names. Have they come up at all?"

"Bernier," Brad said, going to the doorway. "You see the names Algrant and Tillyard at all?"

"Tillyard? Yeah, he sent a ton of e-mails to the victim," the officer said. He flipped through some papers on his desk before going over to them and saying, "That's only the most recent."

"Okay," Brad said as Beckett looked over his shoulder and Castle looked over the other. " _Tonio you know that you can't do this, that bitch was lying and there's no way I would harm a horse_ ," he read. "You said Seymour saw him almost whipping a horse?"

"Yeah, but I wonder if this is another woman who saw," Beckett said. "Is the e-mail Antonio wrote attached to it?"

"It is," Castle said, having been reading the bottom of the page. "Here; _Pearl has a suspicion that you're whipping the new Holstein she got at the Oberg Stables. I have nothing to do with his horses, but I'm sure Oberg wouldn't appreciate the news. You're fired because I told you I wouldn't allow you to harm a horse and you'll be lucky if Oberg doesn't have you charged with animal cruelty_ ," he read.

"Okay, John Oberg has a small ranch on the north side of town. His wife is Pearl Oberg," Brad said as the two looked at him.

"And was she a student of his?" Beckett asked.

"She's about sixty, I don't really think she'd need him to teach her to ride, since she's been doing so since she was six," Hutchinson said suddenly, having come up to them as they'd been talking. "She's a friend of my mother's."

"At least we know now and don't need to research it," Brad replied, nodding to the officer. "And does Simon Tillyard work there?"

"I think so, if he does, he's a recent hire," Hutchinson replied.

"We could go," Beckett said suddenly. When the other three looked at her questioningly she said, "Castle and I could go see Mrs. Oberg, and see what she has to say about Tillyard; after we look into him and Algrant."

"Any reason why?" Brad asked as Hutchinson went back to her desk.

"I think it's because she wants to see the horses," Castle whispered. "Or not," he said quickly to his wife's look.

"I think if I spoke to her about this," Beckett said, tapping her finger on the copy of the e-mail. "She might want to talk with me."

"Maybe," Brad said thoughtfully. "You don't know Mr. Oberg?" he asked his friend.

"Oh, wait, yeah, I do, he's the former county ME that came into his family's ranch when he was about thirty," Castle said. "He's a friend of the Carpenters," he told his wife.

"We could use that connection," Beckett said. "But it might be better if I do more of the talking," she said, looking at her husband.

"I don't know," Brad said, getting their attention. "You're both riders, and I know Mrs. Oberg does watch polo games, she might recognize you."

"We'll do that, after we look into our suspects," Castle said as he followed his wife back out into the bull pen and to their unofficial desk. "I just hope the guy doesn't come after us if he gets fired; it sounds like he has a temper."

"Then I'll urge Brad to charge him with animal cruelty," Beckett said simply as she put Tillyard's name into the search engine.

Castle nodded to that though his wife wasn't looking at him and he read the information that came up on the screen with her, frowning as he saw the notation on the bottom. "A .45," he commented.

"Let me check Algrant," Beckett said, opening another page. When the man's information came up she couldn't help letting out a whistle as she looked at Castle.

"Brad," the two said at the same time.

"What?" he asked, walking over to them from his desk. "That's Algrant? I thought it was someone else… You're kidding," he said to them.

"That's what it says," Castle said as the man was reading the lengthy list of guns the man was registered to own.

"Well… I've never come across anyone who's a problem, but I'll take care of talking to him, with one of the officers," Brad said.

"You can take him," Beckett said, going to the man's criminal record.

"Clean," Castle said. "But of course, that doesn't mean anything."

"Not really, especially if the motive is the man's wife trying to sleep with our vic," Brad replied.

"Has anyone on the list come up as owning the same weapon?" Beckett asked.

"Not yet, but we're slowly working through it," Brad said. He heard the walkie-talkie on his belt going off and quickly unclipped it, listening to dispatch talking with Kirby. "A speeder resisting arrest," he told Castle and Beckett. "Dispatch, this is Chief Brady, Officer Mitford is out on patrol as well, send him to assist Kirby." After the woman copied his request, he looked at the two saying, "Look into these two and then go out to the Ogden ranch, see if Mrs. Ogden will talk with you."

With a nod, Castle turned back to his wife and said, "You thinking the same?"

"Yes, but we can't assume it's this guy," Beckett said, looking at the information for Algrant.

"No, but he feels right," Castle said. He paused as his wife looked at him out of the corner of her eye and said, "That sounded worse than it did in my mind. He seems more likely."

"Better," Beckett said absently. She set all the information on Algrant to print before going back to Tillyard. When she came to the man's criminal record she wasn't too surprised to see that the man had a list of past arrests, seeing that he'd been able to get out of any jail time.

"Does it say who helped him?" Castle asked, having been reading and seeing that a lot of the arrests dealt with physical assault in some form.

"No, but I think now is the perfect time to go," Beckett said, printing the man's information before she looked at her watch.

After letting Brad know they were going, Castle and Beckett headed to their car before they went to the Ogden home. At the gate; since he was driving; Castle pressed the bell on the intercom and when a woman answered he told them who they were, letting her know they were friends of the Carpenters.

"I was wondering if that would work," Beckett said as the gate swung open for them. "And…"

Whistling at the sight of the horses in paddocks around a large colonial style house, Castle said, "I wonder if we might cultivate a friendship here."

"I'm happy where we ride," Beckett said. "Speaking of that, there's something I wanted to tell you, but it can wait for later."

"Is it serious?" Castle asked, looking at her as he turned the car off.

"No," Beckett said, shaking her head. She got out of the car first and saw a man coming out of the stable near a paddock by her, watching how he was pulling the black horse after him. She frowned at the way the horse was shying away from the man and was about to say something when the woman's voice from the intercom interrupted her, making her turn slightly.

"Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett, I'm Pearl Ogden, it's lovely to meet you," the woman said, shaking Castle's hand. She looked to Beckett but saw that something in the distance had caught her eye and she looked at Castle, frowning slightly as he let go of her hand.

"Kate?" he said, turning to his wife then. "What is it?" he asked as the woman next to him looked with him in the same direction. When Beckett suddenly took off running he ran around the car towards the paddock, watching as his wife vaulted herself over the fence. The sight of a horse whip in the man's hand made Castle pick up speed as he raced to catch up to her as she neared Tillyard.


	8. Where The Shadows Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song White Room written by Jack Bruce and Pete Brown, the version I took this from was actually featured on the show Dancing With the Stars.

Beckett was able to grab Tillyard's wrist before he could bring the riding crop down on the stallion but was unable to stop him from throwing her off. Falling back to the ground she nearly got the wind knocked out of her and was unable to move as the man struck her in the face with the end of the crop.

When he looked down at Beckett, Tillyard started to swing it back around to hit her again. But before he could do that she was jumping up and wrenching the crop out of his hands as she kicked his right knee.

Before she could get to the man Tillyard was on her but Beckett was able to swing the crop and connected with his neck, making him stagger to the side. She was ready to strike at him again, her anger at seeing him about to whip the horse nearly overpowering her. But luckily Castle was where to take Tillyard down to the ground and she tossed the crop to the side, getting her phone to call the chief.

"Are you okay?" Castle asked, unable to check on his wife as he was trying to keep Tillyard on the ground.

"Yeah, we're at the paddock in front of the house, you won't be able to miss us," Beckett was saying on the phone to Brad. She covered the microphone and told Castle, "I'm fine, can you hold him?"

"No," he grunted as Tillyard started to move up; getting tired from trying to hold the struggling man down. He was startled when the stable hand started to yell and he looked up, seeing his wife's boot heel digging in the middle of his upper back. That had seemed to take the fight out of Tillyard and they were able to keep him in place until Brad arrived.

"What the hell?" the chief said, running up to them with his gun drawn. "Stand back you two. Simon Tillyard, you're under arrest for assault."

"And animal cruelty," Beckett said, nodding to the welt on the side of the stallion that was grazing near them. "Excuse me," she told the others.

"Wait love, your cheek," Castle said, running after her as he'd been able to get up off Tillyard. As he'd been doing that he'd seen the cut on her cheek that was bleeding, though slowly.

"It's fine," Beckett told him simply before she approached the horse. Murmuring to it, she was going to grab the cheek piece on its harness when someone approached them. "Mrs. Ogden? I'm sorry about this but… we were actually going to talk to you about him."

"That's alright," the woman said, touching the welt very gently with her fingers. "Hmm, he looks okay but I'll need to wait and see," she told them grimly. She studied them and said, "Shouldn't you get that treated?"

"I'm fine, listen how did you know Antonio De Soto?" Beckett asked quickly as she wanted to get their interview they'd been supposed to be conducting over with.

"He helped with the births of some of our ponies," Mrs. Ogden replied. "I know Mr. Tillyard worked for him… do you think he killed him?"

"Was he here in the morning two days ago?" Castle asked, looking at his wife as he spoke.

"He was," Mrs. Ogden said. "But for about an hour he left, maybe a little more than that, I got a phone call from my husband that lasted a long time so I'm not sure. But I can tell you right now he's definitely fired."

"Did your horses ever go off your ranch?" Castle asked.

"The polo fields," Mrs. Ogden replied. "And since you're talking about Antonio I'm going to guess you found out what he told me about Simon abusing the horses?"

"Yes, why didn't you fire him after you discovered that," Beckett asked, taking the handkerchief her husband handed her as her blood was about to drip on her coat.

"I didn't discover, I only had my suspicions," Mrs. Ogden said gravely. "And my husband told me to find out for sure." She sighed, "Now I know… but if you don't charge him for what he did to you, I will."

"We'd appreciate that," Castle said.

"Take him inside and get him set," Beckett said, nodding to the horse that she patted on the forehead. "And thank you for talking with us."

"Of course, take care of that cut," Mrs. Ogden said, studying it again. "And make sure he goes to jail."

"We will," Castle said quickly before he led his wife to where Brad was waiting for them outside the paddock. "I'm taking her home."

"Castle-" Beckett started to say, looking at him in annoyance.

"We'll go back after lunch," he told her firmly. "Do you need us now?"

"No, we have to patch him up; your hit to his neck did some damage," Brad told them. "Nicely done. And I don't think either of you should be coming into interrogation once I get him to the station."

"We want to see what he says," Beckett said. "Call us before you take him."

"I will," Brad said as he watched Castle lead his wife to their car.

The drive back to their home was quiet, though Beckett could see her husband out of the corner of her eye glancing at her. Finally she couldn't take it and sighed saying, "I know that was reckless but…"

"I would have done the same if I'd reached him in time," Castle said when she trailed off. "Actually I wish I had, I would have gotten that cut. Would have done nicely, a cut and a bruise and…" he started to say before he looked at her.

"Eliza," they said at the same time.

Wincing, Beckett checked her watch and said, "It's too early for a nap, they'll actually be sitting down to lunch right now."

"Well… I can text her, tell her to keep Eliza away from our room but…" Castle said.

"I'll text her," Beckett said, getting her phone. Since she was still holding her handkerchief to her cheek she had to text with one hand but was eventually able to send the message. "They're with Rebecca," she said in surprise when she got a responding text. "I just asked where she was to check on her," she replied to Castle's questioning look. "David had to go out for the campaign so she invited them over for some company for lunch; they'll go home for Eliza's nap."

"Perfect," Castle said, breathing out in relief as he reached their driveway and parked outside. He led his wife into the house and straight to the bathroom where he proceeded to clean the wound, making her wince. "So it didn't cut through," he said.

"If it had I would have been screaming for an ambulance," Beckett said. "It's not that long is it?"

"About an inch, if that," Castle said. "But it doesn't hurt too much does it?" he asked her, studying her as he bandaged it.

"Not really," Beckett assured him. "Should we head back to the station?"

"No, let's take a break right now," Castle said, washing his hands quickly. "And have lunch together."

"Sure," Beckett said before her husband was wrapping his arms around her. She was quick to do the same, but was surprised when he only kissed her briefly. "What?" she asked, feeling his hesitation easily.

"I don't want to make that bleed again," Castle said, looking at her right cheek.

"It's pretty far from my lips Rick," Beckett said, the cut closer to her ear. She then tightened her grip around his neck and was crushing her lips to his to get the message to him. She felt a deep sense of relief when he responded to her and they dueled for a few seconds inside her mouth before they slowly pulled away from one another. "Hmm, it's not bleeding," she said as he reached up, lightly cupping her cheek.

"I know," Castle said. "And now I can say this; you were awesome beating him."

"Your fetish of me being dominatrix?" Beckett asked with a smile on her face.

"No, just you kicking ass," Castle said simply. He couldn't help kiss his wife as she rolled her eyes slightly and he would have kept that up for much longer if she hadn't pulled away.

"We need to leave before Martha and Eliza come," Beckett told him as he opened his mouth to protest.

"Right, I'll take care of lunch," Castle told her as he took her hand and pulled her over to the kitchen. "And we can talk about what we have now with the case."

"Which isn't too much even though we do have Tillyard as a murder suspect," Beckett reminded him as she leaned against the island to watch him. "But we do have some things, you're right. We should talk about that before we go back."

"I'm wondering if we should have gone with Brad to talk to Algrant," Castle said, putting together two sandwiches since it was the quickest thing he had to make.

"I think he's worried about our safety," Beckett said with a smile as she watched him. "Or yours."

"Or mine, I was just going to say that," Castle said with a slight laugh. "I wonder if he was already there, when we called."

"I doubt it, he would have sent someone," Beckett replied easily as she went over to a cabinet to get two plates. "But you think it's Algrant now? We haven't cleared Tillyard."

"I'm just not sure about Tillyard, killing him because Antonio wouldn't become his lover?" Castle said.

"Too easy?" Beckett asked as she got her drink and went with him to the table.

"It seems like it," Castle replied with a nod. "But so does Algrant."

"Yeah, the weapons he has makes it pretty…" Beckett started to say. She trailed off and shared a look with her husband before they said, "His gun could have been stolen."

"It would be a great twist," Castle said hurriedly. "Everyone would think of Algrant with the cache of weapons at his disposal. And the fact that his wife was trying to sleep with our vic."

"But does that make it too easy?" Beckett said hesitantly.

"Yeah, that he was set up? It wouldn't be the first time," Castle replied thoughtfully. "But you know we've come across killers that think it's easier to frame someone. They think it makes them smart."

Beckett nodded before she then said, "Antonio seems to have had a lot of people angry at him."

"What're you thinking?" Castle asked, watching her closely.

"Just that what if the drug connection is the motive but they managed to bury it with all the people who seem to hate him," Beckett replied, thinking for a moment.

"We need more evidence," Castle said simply.

Beckett gave an infinitesimal nod to that, as she was eating, but once she'd finished she said, "And now I remember what I was going to tell you earlier."

"Oh yeah, this big secret," Castle said, watching her closely.

"It's not a big secret," Beckett replied, shaking her head. "It's something I decided to do after Thanksgiving. I'm selling my bike."

"You… but why?" Castle asked, stunned at that. Before she could reply he quickly said, "Is it because you haven't been able to ride that much? Because I told you Kate that if you want to go I'll gladly watch the girls for you."

"It's not that, I just find myself not getting the urge to ride," Beckett told him.

"It's because we ride horses more now isn't it?" Castle asked.

Smiling at that, Beckett then told him, "I've always wanted to ride and now I have the chance I think I'm going to take advantage of that. And really, I told you how my motorcycle was because I couldn't have a horse to ride. Plus I just prefer riding horses."

"I knew that already. But as long as it's what you want then go ahead," Castle told her, studying her closely.

"It is, but I'm selling the bike to someone who's giving it to his wife for Christmas," Beckett replied. "So two weeks from this one I need to get it cleaned up and ready to go."

"I'll help," Castle said quickly.

"You will?" Beckett asked in amusement.

"Sure, how hard is it to clean a motorcycle?" Castle asked. "It's… it's not right?" he asked, pretending to sound unsure.

"It's not," Beckett said, smiling. She reached over to him and squeezed his hand gently before saying, "I thought you'd try to convince me not to do that."

"It's not my bike," Castle said easily. "And I have to admit I prefer you in your riding outfits… those boots…"

"Pervert," Beckett told him, still smiling. "Are you ready?" she asked, since by then they'd finished their meal.

"Yeah, let me just get this set," Castle said, clearing the table for her.

While she waited for him, Beckett went to the entry and pulled on her navy blue coat as she was thinking about the Ogden ranch. "I wonder," she started to say when she saw her husband was approaching her. "Why would he have stuck around if he sent that e-mail?"

"It makes him look guilty," Castle said. When she nodded he sighed and said, "Then it's not likely him, but if he doesn't have much in the way of money to leave…"

"It's why we need to get back," Beckett replied, looking at her phone.

"Did he text you?" Castle asked as he walked with her to the car. "Wait," he said suddenly, making her stop and turn to him.

Looking into his eyes in slight confusion, Beckett suddenly realized what he was thinking of as his gaze went to her cheek and she said with him, "The girls." She breathed out slightly in frustration and said, "We can't really hide this."

"We'll have to figure something out before we come home," Castle told her. "But for now."

"Yeah, we should go," Beckett said with a nod. On the way to the station she said, "I really hope I didn't end up killing Tillyard," as she still had no message from Brad letting them know he was about to interview their suspect.

"I think he would have told you… there he is," Castle said as her phone made a chirping noise.

"He is, he's hoping we'll hurry," Beckett replied after reading the note.

"Don't bother," Castle said as he could see that his wife was about to text out of the corner of his eye. "We're here."

Following Castle back inside the station, Beckett called to the chief, "Thanks for waiting for us."

"Not a problem, it helps that I texted you in my cruiser," Brad replied.

"How is he?" Castle asked.

"Four stitches, Hutchinson got the footage of the attack for us to hand over to the prosecutor; whoever ends up getting the case; and he really did a number on you," Brad said, glancing at the band-aid on her cheek.

"He didn't, it wasn't that deep," Beckett assured him. "And I'm not getting charged am I?"

"For self defense? And also defending the horse?" Brad said before he shook his head. "No, he won't have a chance if he tried to press charges."

"Don't tell him that or else he might try," Castle said quickly.

"He won't," Brad said reassuringly, knowing his friend was concerned about his wife being actually being arrested. "Okay, so I'm ready to head in to speak to him."

"Is he lucid?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah, they localized the wound, so he's up to speaking," Brad said before they started to walk to the room.

"Think I could go in with you?" Castle asked.

Stopping abruptly, Brad turned to him and said, "And have you beat him up for hitting her? I don't think so Rick, I'd like to keep my job. You two can watch from observation."

Taking her husband's wrist, Beckett asked wryly, "Really Castle?"

Shrugging, he looked through the glass at Tillyard sitting on the other side of the table, his neck wrapped in gauze and said, "He was right, you did do good job on him."

"That's what kicking ass generally entails," Beckett said, looking ahead. She smiled when he looked at her and she reached over to him, squeezing his hand gently. "But thank you for wanting to avenge my getting beat up."

"Happy to do so, though you beat me to it," Castle said simply before Brad began to speak.

"So Mr. Tillyard, now that you're here, I'm wondering if I might ask you a question," the chief was saying.

"Just one question?" Tillyard asked sullenly.

"For now," Brad replied, sitting down. "Tell me about your relationship with Antonio De Soto."

"Oh, is that why I'm here? I heard that lady who I hit helped you out, her husband too," Tillyard said, scratching his cheek. "Well, Antonio was my old boss I would help him with lessons he gave to that beginner's polo league."

"And you say old boss now because he's dead," Brad said.

"No, he fired me," Tillyard said. "You didn't find that out? You must have since I'm here talking to you."

"And why did he fire you?" Brad asked.

"Interesting strategy," Castle said in observation. "He remembered that case."

"Considering it was a past officer I'm not surprised," Beckett said since she'd been the one to question the suspect in that way. "Let's just hope it works."

"He fired me because I was trying to become his lover," Tillyard said in irritation. "Honestly, is that why you need those two to help?"

"You seem to have a temper Mr. Tillyard," Brad said, sitting back in his chair. "And I have a witness who let me know that you were pretty angry at being rejected."

"I didn't kill him," Tillyard said in complete anger then. "I wasn't anywhere near the Harper Ranch, I was with Mrs. Ogden for the morning."

"Yes, but you also left her for an hour," Brad said. "That would have been more than enough time for you to drive to Harper Ranch, kill Antonio and then come back."

"I was at the market," Tillyard nearly hissed out of his teeth. "Getting my lunch, I didn't tell Mrs. Ogden I was going because she'd gone back to the house to talk on the phone."

"Which market?" Brad asked.

"The Porter," Tillyard said simply.

"Alright, we'll check your alibi, but you'll be sticking around for now," Brad said.

"Oh come on, I didn't mean to hit her, she got in the way," Tillyard scoffed.

"Yes, but trying to continue to attack her does not look good," Brad said, standing up and going to the door. He had Officer Kirby take the man out before he met Castle and Beckett at the door to observation. "I think we lost him."

"We did, since Mrs. Ogden had told us about that phone call," Beckett replied. "What about Algrant?"

"We cleared him, he's in Florida at his vacation home from Thanksgiving to New Year's," Brad replied, going to his office. "And we got permission to check on his guns in the house, and they were all accounted for, none of them fired recently including the .45."

"So much for our idea of someone stealing that to blame him," Castle told his wife.

"I know," Beckett said with a sigh. "I'm wondering about the list we have."

"Yeah, nearly finished with that," the chief said, picking up his phone. "And we're clearing everyone it looks like."

"Do you mind if we take a few names now?" Castle asked, looking at his wife who nodded in response.

"Knock yourself out," Brad said, holding the mouthpiece of his phone away from him to speak.

"Hutchinson," Beckett said, going out with her husband to the officer.

"I heard," the woman replied, handing her a paper.

"Still a lot of names," Castle said.

"Trust me when I say we're being thorough," Hutchinson told them. "Take the last two okay? I'm on Vales right now."

"Sure, we'll let you know if we find anything," Beckett said absently, reading the next two names. "You know this guy don't you?" she said, turning to Castle and showing him the first name.

"Burke Kelsey? Yeah, he plays with us sometimes on poker night," he replied. "Nice guy… oh, his wife plays polo," he told her.

"That's a place to start," Beckett said with a nod before she headed to their desk.

Watching her type in the name, Castle said, "I don't think he'd have a reason to kill Antonio."

"Neither do I, but if there's a connection," Beckett said quickly. She and Castle read the information on the man, not finding any priors or weapons registered to him. "You want to call?"

"Gladly," Castle said quickly before he took the phone.

Listening to the conversation, Beckett couldn't help smiling as her husband managed to get an alibi out of Kelsey by saying he'd wanted to invite the man and his wife to breakfast with them. When he hung up after writing down a number she said, "He was out?"

"He was in the city," Castle said. "With his lawyer, he and his wife are updating their wills."

"I'll take this," Beckett said, taking the phone from him with a slight smile as she dialed.

Castle went to the next name on the list, a Michael Marlow, and found that the man was clean too. He got his cell phone from his pocket and dialed the man's number as Beckett was still on the phone.

"Hello?" Marlow asked.

"Mike," Castle said.

"Richard, hey," the man replied in surprise. "Oh, the case."

"You read the _Report_ ," Castle said.

"Of course," Marlow replied. "So you need to talk to me for it."

"Why would you expect my call?" Castle asked.

"Antonio taught me how to ride, long ago when he first came here from Argentina, I was one of his first students," Marlow replied. "And he was a great friend. We would chat sometimes via e-mail."

"I know, I saw your e-mail the last time you sent him one," Castle said. "And I hate to ask this since you're a friend but where were you between eleven and twelve yesterday?"

"I was at work, I had a pretty big case so I was getting evidence ready," Marlow replied. "So I was nowhere near the ranch where he was shot. How's his cousin?"

"Shaken up," Castle said simply. "I need to go," he said then as he glanced at his wife and saw that she'd gotten off the phone at some point. "But your co-workers can verify you were there?"

"Yeah, I'll have security e-mail footage from here to the police," Marlow replied. "I'll see you Richard."

"Next year Mike," Castle said before he hung up. "I knew him. Well, I should say that I know him."

"I realized that," Beckett said with a slight smile. "And?"

"He was at his office prepping a case," Castle said, since his fellow polo player was also a criminal defense attorney. "He's going to have security send footage and he talked to the vic via e-mails."

"So that's it," Beckett said, glancing over at Hutchinson. When she saw the woman hang up the phone as hard as she could, she sighed saying, "I think this means we've run out of leads."

"We did, I just cleared the last name on the list," the officer said.

"And I got the footage from the Porter market," Kirby called from his desk. "He's there buying and eating lunch, talking to some people for our time of death window."

"What about Mrs. Ogden?" Castle asked.

"You think she killed Antonio?" Beckett asked incredulously.

"I'm just wondering about that hour long phone call," Castle said. "Though I realize there's no connection with the vic besides Tillyard… unless she wanted to frame him."

"I'll check on that phone call," Hutchinson said as Beckett looked over at her.

"Thank you," she said. She was about to speak then when Kirby suddenly called to her to check the e-mail on the computer. When she'd gotten to the account she saw an e-mail forwarded from their vic's account. "What's this?"

"Didn't Brad say?" Kirby replied before they all looked over to the chief who was in his office on the phone still. "It's one of the deleted e-mails still on his account, tech managed to open it and I saw this one."

"A picture of the vic?" Beckett asked, seeing it in the message.

"Go down further," Kirby told her.

"Oh, yikes," Castle said as it was a video clip that had been filmed through the scope of a lens; of the vic at the Harper ranch.

"So he was being stalked," Beckett said. "And this was sent the night before he was killed. Did tech find out where it was sent from? Who sent it?"

"The account is in a false name, I can't find any information on a Jep Stroud at all, not even a death certificate. And it came from the Meridian Café at seven forty-six," Kirby said.

Sharing a look, Castle and Beckett didn't say a word before they stood up and went to the chief's closed office door where he knocked and then went inside with his wife.

"The mayor again," Brad said to them once he'd hung up the phone. "I really wish he hadn't allowed the _Report_ access to a good portion of the investigation. What about you two, anything?"

"We've gone through all the names we've gotten so far," Beckett said.

"And nothing," Castle continued. "But we just got a deleted e-mail from the vic's trash and it had a picture of him at the Harper ranch and a video of him walking around the property through a scope."

"Were they able to get the account information?" Brad asked, standing up at that.

Explaining the name the e-mail sender had for the account, Beckett then said, "But they were able to discover that it came out from the Meridian Café."

"Isn't that where you go after riding at the stables in the morning?" the chief asked since he'd met the two there with his wife for breakfast a few times.

"It is and they have free wi-fi," Castle said. "Can we head out there?"

"On our own," Beckett added.

"You can, you're aware everyone knows that you're basically extensions of the force here," Brad replied. "They'll speak to you."

"We'll call with anything we have," Castle said before he and Beckett went back to their desk and grabbed their coats.

"Let me speak with them," Beckett was saying once they were in the car.

"I know, I was planning to do that anyways," Castle said, driving to the café. "I have to wonder though if the killer would have done that."

"Gone to a café in public to send that e-mail," Beckett said.

"Yeah, I think we should expect some kind of disguise," Castle replied. "But a makeup one."

"Which makes it harder to figure out who he was," Beckett said with a slight frown. "And to find anyone who'll have seen him afterwards."

"We'll have to hope he wasn't aware of the security cameras there," Castle said.

The drive to the edge of town took some time but once they reached the café, they were relieved to see it look relatively deserted and when they stepped into the building they had confirmation of that.

"Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett, you're here late," the hostess said at the front when she recognized them.

"Actually, we're here for the Hamptons PD," Beckett said.

"Oh… okay," the woman said, looking startled. "Do you, would you like to speak to the manager?"

"That would be nice," Beckett said gently to put her at ease.

"Come this way, please," the hostess told them, walking deeper into the restaurant.

Looking around at the people that were there, Castle saw that no one had an electronic device in their hands or on the table so he turned forward as they were led into the back. He glanced at the kitchen through the doors as they passed before they got to an office.

"Donnie?" the hostess said after she knocked on the door and opened it. "Hi, it's Mr. Castle and Ms. Beckett on behalf of the police; they want to speak with you."

Looking up, the manager saw the serious expression on his employee's face before he said, "Let them in. Is there something wrong with the restaurant?"

"No, we actually think a suspect in a case was here two days ago," Castle started with.

"He or she sent an e-mail," Beckett replied. "We were able to trace it here."

"What do you need?" Donnie asked, looking back and forth between them in his surprise.

"Security footage and also to talk to whoever was working here between seven and eight that night," Beckett said.

"Of course, come with me," Donnie said before he got up from his desk to take them outside the office. The door next to his read _Security_ and he went straight inside before saying, "Tony; our guard; is on his lunch break right now, but I know how to work the equipment."

"Do you still have the footage from that night?" Castle asked him.

"Yeah, we keep everything within a week, you're lucky the night in question was Sunday," Donnie said as he sat down and started to type on a computer. He soon drew up some camera footage and told them, "We ask the people who come in if they need the wi-fi connection; as you know. And since it's strongest in one area, I know what camera it's at."

Watching as the manager fast forwarded it, Beckett saw the people coming in and out, with laptops, phones and tablets. When he played the footage at its normal speed she saw the time read seven and looked at the tables. For a time there was a large group of women taking up the tables in the area and she shared a frown with Castle. "Did they ask for this area?" she asked Donnie.

"No, it was about the only place we could put them," the manager replied. "There were twelve of them; they're a group of… I think maybe a book club," he said after thinking about that for a moment. "But they left these two tables free."

Looking at the screen again, Castle kept his eye on the tables for two to the left and saw that for a long period of time; nearly forty minutes; it was empty. But the hostess soon came into view, followed by two men. He was about to speak when he saw they were being seated separately and he reached over to his wife's arm, squeezing it gently.

"I know," Beckett said in response, knowing what he wasn't saying and watching as their former suspect got out a laptop. "He has an alibi though."

"I realize that," Castle said, looking to the other man. He saw that the person had his head down and was on a tablet, staring at the screen and tapping at it a few times. Watching the rest of the time the two were there; Fern leaving before the other man; he saw that both had eaten and he said, "Can we get a receipt for the other man?" since they hadn't been able to catch his face.

"And what about another angle?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah, we have at the entrance," Donnie said, saving the hour and sending it to the Hamptons PD via an e-mail. He then went to another camera angle and with the time he knew the man had left he played the footage.

Her eyes going back and forth all over the screen, Beckett said in annoyance, "Is there any way to get out of here?" as the man wasn't showing up.

"Wait, there he is," Castle said after twenty minutes had passed. "Damn it, he knew where that camera was," he directed to his wife as their suspect was keeping his head averted.

"I know," Beckett said with a sigh. "Does anything about him look familiar to you at all?"

"No, I'm usually back here and that night wasn't a busy one so I wasn't needed out to help," Donnie replied. "But Kirsten was there, she was the one who seated him you saw."

"Send that footage of him leaving to the police if you can and I need to get a picture of him right in front of the door," Beckett said. When the manager had quickly gotten the screen paused at the moment she wanted, she took a picture with her phone and thanked him for his cooperation.

"I have a weird feeling seeing Fern there," Castle told her as they were alone in the hall.

"So do I, but there's the problem of his alibi… what are you doing?" Beckett asked, watching him texting.

"I have to tell Brad that he needs to look into Fern again for the moment," Castle said. "Come on," he said when he looked up at her and saw the expression on her face. "You were thinking the same."

"Maybe, but we should be absolutely sure," Beckett said. "I would like to try to go to the psychiatrist's office that he was supposed to be at."

"We'd need Brad," Castle warned her.

"He'll come," Beckett said simply. They'd gotten to the dining area of the restaurant and seeing that the room was still largely empty they went over to the hostess. "Kirsten?" she said when they got close to her.

"Yes," the woman said, turning to them.

"I'm wondering if we could ask you a few things," Beckett told her.

"Sure," Kirsten said, sounding nervous again.

"You were here Sunday night between seven and eight," Beckett began with. "There was a large party over there," she said, gesturing to the area where the wi-fi was the strongest. "Of about twelve women. Do you remember them?"

"Oh of course, they were here for a while," Kirsten said quickly, nodding in agreement.

"What about those two tables next to where they'd been sitting," Castle said. "Do you remember the people who sat there?"

"Yeah, I worked up until ten; closing time," Kirsten said. "And there were only three people; two men and a woman. She was there at about nine and left when we closed up."

"Do you remember the two men?" Beckett queried.

"One of them is a regular here but he hadn't been in for a while so it was a surprise to see him," the hostess answered. "But I don't remember his name, he usually paid cash."

"Is this him?" Beckett asked, showing a picture of Fern that was on her phone.

"Yeah, that's him," Kirsten said with a nod.

"Do you remember what the other man looked like?" Castle said. "Enough to maybe speak to a sketch artist?"

"I think I could," the hostess replied.

"Then would you mind coming with us to the station?" Beckett asked.

"I… yeah, but I'm still on shift…" Kirsten said, looking around. "I'd have to ask Donnie."

"She can go," the manager said suddenly, walking up to them. "Why is she going though?"

Realizing that the man had only heard the end of what his hostess had said, Castle told him, "She's going to try and provide a description of a possible suspect for a sketch artist."

"Then of course she can go," Donnie said. He watched the three leave the restaurant then and frowned for a moment before he had to turn his attention to a couple walking inside.

* * *

"Even if she does remember the man fully it's going to be hard to know if it's actually what he looked like," Beckett was saying as they watched the hostess from the café talking to the sketch artist an hour and a half later; having had to wait for the man to arrive.

"You're always saying that," Brad commented, looking at the two who were sitting at their desk.

"Well, we've come up against it many times in the past," Castle said. "We're just being realistic."

"Hmm, well, I hope he hurries, I need to make sure we didn't drop the ball on not charging Fern with murder," the chief said impatiently.

Beckett was going to speak, looking at her husband, but then hesitated before he nodded, "Are you sure we've gotten everything we could get from Harper Ranch?"

"You're thinking Susannah might be holding something back?" Brad asked.

"Well, you recognized the background of the footage as the ranch," Castle said. "And just when we go to get the security camera footage that would have revealed whoever it was that filmed it we discover that's the only camera that's not working on her property."

"Considering the tech employee checked the camera and cleared it, I think we can put her aside as a suspect," Brad said.

"Not her," Beckett said, knowing by the way the chief was looking at it he thought she was suggesting that after the woman had flirted with Castle. "The lawyer."

"He would have known that the camera was down," Castle then said as Brad shook his head. "Or did you clear him already?"

"Already done," Brad said easily. "Bernier took a look at where he was the past few days since the camera went out, he's been in the city at his firm."

"Okay, then someone else knew about the camera not working," Beckett said, sharing a look with Castle.

"Antonio must have said something in passing," he told her.

"But that could have been anyone," Beckett said. "And if that first person wasn't the killer-"

"Then they said it to someone else who was the killer," Castle said.

"Which would be next to impossible to discover," Brad said, watching them.

"Chief?" Kirby said, coming over with a sheet of paper.

"This is him?" Brad said, looking at the sketch as Castle and Beckett stood to look as well.

"It is, but there's something you should know," the sketch artist said, having come over with the officer. "The proportion of his nose seems off."

"Makeup?" Castle asked.

"It might be, but I can't say conclusively unless I saw the actual man," the artist said.

"Thank you," the chief said with a nod. "Kirby, please escort her back to the café and thank her for her help. So, are you two ready to head out to the doctor?"

"Do you really need us?" Castle asked.

"Not really but since you're part of things you might as well tag along," Brad said wryly as he knew his friend was joking. They left the station after he'd spoken to Hutchinson to file the charges against Tillyard and to check and see how Fern was doing. He drove to the office on the west side of town with Castle and Beckett in his cruiser and nearing the building he said, "I think you should go in with me."

"Just me?" Beckett asked since he'd been talking to her.

"If I didn't think you were right I'd be so insulted," Castle said from the backseat.

"No, I meant both of you," Brad said, shaking his head. "But let me do the talking. And as I always say, if you think of anything you'd like to ask then speak up."

Getting out the car, Castle and Beckett slightly trailed behind the chief as they went up to the building where the offices were. The door opened onto a hall and when they saw the name of the doctor on the door furthest from where they'd entered, they looked at each other at the confirmation of why the name had sounded so familiar to them both; he was a friend of the chief's and an acquaintance of theirs.

"Good afternoon Chief Davis, can I help you?" the secretary behind the desk said as the three walked inside.

"Yes, you can," Brad said. "I'm wondering if I can see the appointments here on your computer from two days ago."

"Well sure," the woman said with a slight frown. "May I ask who you're looking for?"

"I'll let you know if I find out," the chief said as he waited for her to look. When she had turned the screen of her computer he turned to Castle and Beckett.

Recognizing that look as one to get them to go over next to him, the two hurried and seeing the list of names, they shared a look with the chief as they saw there was no sign of Fern's name.

"You were the one who told us that-" Beckett started to say.

"Brad?" a man said, coming out from a door behind the desk then, looking at the chief in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Do you have a patient by the name of Alan Fern?" Brad asked.

"No," Dr. Wray said simply, shaking his head. "Why?"

"Stand up Miss Selby," the chief said, going around the desk to the secretary. Once she had he handcuffed her and said, "You're under arrest for obstruction of justice."

"So you've never seen this guy at all?" Beckett asked the doctor who was looking stunned to see his secretary sitting in one of the waiting room chairs with her hands behind her back. When he turned to her she let him see the screen of her phone where Fern's picture was and watched him study it.

"Yeah, actually I have," Wray replied. "But he wasn't a patient of mine; he came in to see Denise…"

After sharing a look with each other, Castle followed his wife over to the woman and he asked, "Were you his lover?"

"No, we were just friends," Selby replied, tears in her eyes. "He came to talk to me."

"So why did you fake his being a patient, to the point where you sent us patient records?" Brad said.

"He said he was going to be suspected of killing his wife's lover, when he was really with me at lunch," Selby said. "So I had to cover for him, and… that's what I did."

"Well, thanks to your friend," Castle told her. "You're going to jail."

"Where did you go for lunch?" Beckett asked then when the woman stopped sobbing for a moment.

"Francesco's," Selby said miserably.

"And was Fern with you the entire time?" Beckett asked her.

"I…" Selby replied, looking up at the three of them. Finally she hung her head and shook it saying, "He said he had to be somewhere, and he left me at about eleven forty."

Going outside with the chief and the secretary, Beckett watched the two leave in the chief's cruiser, letting Castle call them a cab. "I don't believe this," she said to him.

"I know, but what do we have now other than Fern?" he replied as he'd gotten off the phone.

"Nothing," Beckett said with a sigh. "But how would he have known about the security camera? Does he know Harper?"

"Yeah," Castle said. "It's her ranch his team gets horses from."

"Then it's him," Beckett said, though looking at her husband she knew that he didn't really feel that confident in the idea either.

When the taxi arrived, the two of them headed to the station and getting out they saw that the chief was waiting for them in front of it to their surprise.

"I'm going to the jail, to pick up Fern for questioning," Brad said. "Bernier is getting footage from Green's and we'll hopefully have everything wrapped up."

"So all this because of the baby," Beckett mused once they were in the cruiser again and on their way.

"It looks like it," the chief replied. "Why, does that not seem a viable motive to you?"

"It is, but Fern…" Beckett began to say.

"Look, I know what you're both thinking," Brad said, glancing back at Castle momentarily. "That it's too easy. But you have to remember the man tried to commit suicide. And to tell you the truth, his friendship with Selby doesn't really work for me."

"You think it was a relationship," Castle said.

"I do, but not a full affair," Brad replied. "I think that he did love his wife, but the baby made him want to be with Selby."

"Then why not kill his wife?" Castle asked in slight confusion.

"He knew it would look too suspicious," the chief guessed. "And he must have realized she'd file for divorce, so he decided to take away her lover."

Sharing a look with her husband, Beckett said slowly, "That could work, as a kind of twisted revenge. Remember what I said about the way he kept her in the house during her bed rest instead of letting her leave for her mother's."

"See?" Brad said. "So for now, we'll focus on him, see if we can get a confession out of him. Or if he has yet another alibi, that."

After they pulled up to the jail, Beckett walked with Castle behind the chief again and she asked, "Where do you want us to wait for you?"

"I forgot about you two needing a cab again," Brad said, grimacing. "I should have let you bring your car. Stay here and I'll be right out with him."

"I wonder why we needed to come," Castle commented when they were alone.

"I think he forgets I'm not a detective anymore," Beckett said with a slight smile on her face. "Though he met me a long time after I left the city."

"True," Castle said before he suddenly heard the ringtone on his wife's phone. "Who is it?" he asked when he saw her looking at the screen.

"It's your mom," Beckett said. "Martha?" she asked once she'd answered. "Is Eliza okay?"

"Oh she's fine, I'm just wondering if it's too cold to take her down to the water," Castle's mother replied.

"And let her play in the snow too?" Castle said; as it was on speakerphone.

"Just for a few minutes Richard, Kate," Martha said. "She woke up from her nap wanting to play outside and I think she's feeling cooped up."

Smiling at her husband as they could hear Eliza begging them in the background to let her go out, Beckett said, "It's fine Martha. But only for ten minutes."

"If she gets cold before then bring her back inside," Castle said quickly.

"Thank you Mommy, Daddy!" Eliza squealed.

"I'll echo what she said, will you be back soon?" Martha asked.

"We're not sure yet," Beckett said. "But you can take her to pick up Julia and Mari if you're wondering."

"Alright, I'll see you both when you come home," Martha said before telling them goodbye.

After hanging up the phone once they'd told her goodbye, Beckett looked up as Brad came out of the building and she shared a surprised expression with Castle as he was alone. "Where is he?" she asked.

"Fern's dead," the chief said bleakly. "About twenty minutes ago he slit his wrists before another prisoner slit his. They were alive when they were found but… they bled out."

"Did he leave a note?" Castle asked.

"Yeah, it was scratched into a paper towel with a pen the other prisoner managed to keep on him, along with the shank," Brad said, showing them a picture on his phone.

Leaning over to see the screen, Castle and Beckett saw the note read _Richard,_ _I killed De Soto, I did it_ and they looked at one another, unable to refute such concrete evidence that they'd found their killer.


	9. Peace And Shelter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are lyrics to the song Let It Be Me which was originally written as Je t'appartiens in French by Pierre Delanoë, the version I have taken from is sung by George Harrison from his album Early Takes: Volume 1.
> 
> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Deliver Your Children written by Denny Laine and Paul McCartney, from the Wings album London Town.

"There you are darling," Martha was saying to Eliza before she started to button her coat. She smiled as the toddler was staring at her with her wide brown eyes curiously and when she had finished she couldn't help hugging her granddaughter tightly to her.

"Why Gram?" Eliza asked though she was embracing her back as hard as she could in her bulky new coat.

"Because I love you. Now come here and see what your coat looks like on you," Martha said, leading her to the mirror on the inside of the closet door. "What do you think?" she asked as the little girl looked at her reflection.

"Pretty!" the toddler cried happily as she touched the white faux down on the edge of the hood. "Thank you Gram."

"You're very welcome," she said as she started to put on her coat. "I just hope your parents won't mind that I gave this to you a little early."

"Why?" Eliza said, touching the rich blue of the coat then.

"It was supposed to be a Christmas gift but I couldn't help giving it to you now," Martha explained. "You do look very sweet in blue."

"You're right, she does," Castle said suddenly. When his mother and Eliza whirled around to him and Beckett; who was with him in the doorway; he couldn't help smile before the toddler was flinging herself at them.

"Mommy, Daddy!" Eliza said as she was picked up by her mother first. "Why? To see Jules?"

"We're finished for the day," Beckett replied, kissing her cheek and smiling as Eliza giggled at the feeling of the down tickling both their faces. "So we came home."

"And the case?" Martha asked.

"We just have some last minute things to take care of tomorrow," Castle said. "But for now, you're all ready to go," he directed to Eliza. "So why don't we head out to see your sister practice?"

"Yeah, go Daddy!" the toddler said as she held her arms out to him.

"That is a beautiful coat," Beckett told her mother in law as they walked behind the other two, leaving the house.

"I thought so too, the color on her…" Martha said with a smile. "But don't worry, their gifts are even now; I almost thought I was going to need to get Julia something else. Now I won't, but I hope she won't mind."

"The dress will be a gift," Beckett said.

"That's true," Martha replied, smiling then as they could hear the toddler in her son's arms talking about her day since they'd parted at the school. "I think she had a very nice day; we did do some schoolwork."

"I figured you had before going to have lunch with Rebecca," Beckett said. "And going outside?"

"Fun Mommy," Eliza said over her father's shoulder.

"What she said," Martha agreed as she and Beckett laughed at her exuberance.

"Well, since the case is over," Beckett was saying then as they could see the school in the distance. "We just have some last minute things to take care of like Rick said," she explained as her mother in law was looking at her questioningly. "But as it's over, now you don't have to stay home."

"You've found the killer?" Martha said.

Nodding, Beckett said, "Brad wants to keep it under wraps for now; he hasn't even told the mayor." Though that was actually because she and Castle had urged the chief to hold off on making a definitive announcement to the mayor and anyone else until they were completely sure Fern had been their killer.

"I think it worked out well, I was invited to dinner at the Swanson's home," Martha said. "So if the girls will let me, I'd like to go there. And don't tell them they need to let me go, I'd like them to say for themselves," she quickly added when she could tell her daughter in law was going to protest.

"Well, Eliza's only two and she'll agree with her sister," Beckett said, a slight smile on her face. "But we'll let them say."

Going inside the dance studio first, Castle watched as the kids in the class were dancing the Quickstep, the teacher stopping them. He sat down quickly with Eliza on his lap, taking off her coat as she waved to her big sister who was quickly waving over to them.

"Now please, pay attention to Julia and Peter here," the woman said. She counted off before the two began to take turns kicking their foot between the other's legs. "See? A good, set rhythm that you can get if you count instead of listening to the music. It's not easy though, so let's practice all together."

The rest of the dance class; twenty minutes left of it; consisted of the class practicing the different moves of that same dance but soon they were allowed to change into their uniforms and Julia was running out to her family as soon as she could.

"Mommy, Daddy! You're done with work?" the little girl asked eagerly.

"We are," Castle said, hugging her to him. "And you did a great job today."

"Why do you dance one?" Eliza asked her sister.

"That one's a hard dance," Julia said, hugging her little sister to her. She then went to her mother, laughing as Eliza was still asking why and holding onto her.

"Let go of her sweetie," Beckett said with a smile as she carefully had the toddler release Julia. Hugging her oldest tightly to her she said, "You were doing a great job with the dance I thought."  
"Thanks, I'm glad you could see," Julia said. "Can we go home now?" she asked, smiling at Mari who'd been sitting with her family.

"Go ahead," Castle said.

"After you get your coats back on," Beckett said quickly before the girls could go down the steps they were on.

Once everyone was bundled up to walk home, Castle wasn't surprised when Julia and Eliza suddenly stopped and looked at their mother. He shared a look with her and was about to say what he and his wife had decided to tell them on the way home when Julia spoke first.

"You're hurt Mommy," the little girl said, frowning as she felt guilty for not noticing the band-aid sooner.

Not surprised that they'd noticed it; though she'd put her hair back down to try and hide it a little better; Beckett said, "It's alright; I had to help at a ranch we went to, and got this. But, I'm fine and your daddy's been taking care of it, so he'll tell you the same."

When all three of the girls looked at him; not just Julia and Eliza; Castle quickly said, "She's right, I've been making sure she's okay and she is. You do know your mommy's tough."

"Now we can go," Beckett said, watching the girls studying her a little longer. She watched them go, not surprised when they walked together, and once Martha followed them out she walked with her husband a little behind them. She was a little startled when they were quiet for a little longer before Rebecca and David's daughter looked at the girls before she spoke; seeming to be trying to distract them from worrying about their mother as they kept glancing back to her.

"Where did you get that jacket?" Mari asked Eliza.

"Gram," the toddler said. "She likes blue."

"On you kiddo," Martha corrected her with a smile.

"Oh, are you gonna start the dress Gram? Please?" Julia asked.

"I will, but after you two finish your homework," Martha replied.

"You can work on it at the table with us when we do our homework," Julia protested.

"We'll ask your parents when we get home," Martha said firmly.

Glancing back at her mother and father, Julia smiled as she saw they were talking quietly with each other, Beckett's hand holding onto the upper part of Castle's arm. "Are they finished with their case?" she asked her grandmother.

"Almost, they'll be going in tomorrow," Martha replied. "But it didn't sound like they had too much left to do."

"Oh I hope they're done, they're gonna go out to dinner on Friday," Julia told her. "When Alexis comes."

"So the two of us will watch you?" Martha asked. She smiled when both Eliza and Julia nodded to that, and said, "Finally we're home. I don't know about you three, but I could do with some tea."

"What do we drink?" Mari asked with a smile.

"Cocoa," Castle said, going past them to get to the front door first. He let the others go in before him, turning from closing and locking the door to see Beckett helping their youngest and Martha unbuttoning the coat that Mari was wearing. He smiled at Julia who was trying to hurry and unbutton her coat and went to her, helping her.

While the adults were taking off their things, Julia took her friend's hand and then Eliza's, pulling them to the kitchen. "We can drink the cocoa with our homework," she told them, going to the pantry and getting the mix out.

"I hope you're not going to eat your homework," Castle said teasingly as he took the box from her hand.

"We won't," Mari said. "Julia, ask," she whispered, though it was loud.

"Ask what?" Beckett said as she ushered the two girls to the table as Castle started to fill a kettle with water.

"Can Gram work on the dress here with us?" Julia said eagerly.

"She can," Beckett replied as Eliza then ran over to them at that. She helped her up onto her high chair and said, "Rick?"

"Yes," Castle said, looking over at her.

"Were you planning on making something for dinner?" Beckett asked him.

"I get the feeling you wouldn't want me to," Castle said. "What's on your mind love?"

"I think we should take these three out to eat," Beckett replied.

"Where?" Julia inquired excitedly. She then gasped and said, "The Narrows?"

"If you do that I'll need to get you something from home to wear," Beckett said to Mari. When the little girl looked disappointed she said, "I have to ask your parents' permission to take you there anyway."

"I hope they say yes," Julia told her friend, taking her hand and squeezing it.

"Me too," Mari replied, squeezing back.

"I'll call your mom," Beckett said, getting her phone out as Martha was walking over to the table. "And see what she says."

"I heard some excitement going on," Castle's mother said as she sat down.

"We're going to the Narrows," Julia said.

"Now, Gram," Eliza said.

"For dinner I'm sure," Martha said as she took the pieces of the dress she'd cut as the toddler had been taking a nap. "You should have fun."

"You're not going to come, Martha?" Mari asked.

"I was invited to dinner with friends, but if you don't want me to go I'll come along with you," she said to them.

Eliza looked at her sister and Mari before she said, "Go with friends Gram."

"Are you sure?" Martha asked in slight surprise when the three looked at each other and then nodded.

"You'll be here a long time," Julia said. "And we don't want to keep you from your friends."

"We'll go out one night, the four of us," Martha said. "Or five depending on if Alexis is here."

"Thank you!" the three girls said at the same time.

"Did you talk to my mommy?" Mari asked as Beckett came over with Castle, both of them carrying two mugs each.

"I did and she said it's more than fine," Beckett said. "But she wanted to remind you that you still have to come home."

"I think she guessed you might ask to spend the night," Castle said as Mari giggled. "Which I know Julia would do if she was in your shoes."

"Your dad is coming over with a dress for you," Beckett said as she and Castle sat down on their chairs.

"Oh, I wonder what he's gonna bring…" Mari said. "Mommy will pick though."

"What do you have for homework?" Castle asked as Beckett suddenly left the table. He glanced after her, but Julia began to speak so he turned his attention back to the girls as they told him about their assignments.

"Here," Beckett said, putting down some of the large building blocks in front of Eliza on the tray in front of her. "Will they need help?" she asked her husband.

"No, there's mostly reading and a couple of worksheets between them," Castle said, sipping his drink.

"You know if you two wanted to write I could watch them," Martha said, looking up from her sewing.

"We're probably going to wait until next week," Castle said. "So we're here to help you two," he said to Julia and Mari.

"There's Daddy!" the Foster's daughter cried out happily as the doorbell rang suddenly. She put down her pencil and then rushed to the front door ahead of Castle and Beckett, Julia coming after her.

"Stay Eliza," Martha said as the toddler was trying to get out of her chair. "They'll be back," she assured her as she began to whimper. When Eliza began to cry, she sighed and stood, getting her out of her high chair before going over to the hall so they could see the front door.

"Hi Daddy," Mari said with a smile as she launched herself into her father's arms once he'd stepped into the entry. "Is Mommy okay?"

"She's doing great, a little tired, but that's normal you know," David said. "Here's her dress and everything else Rebecca said she needed. And she can come in at seven thirty the latest now you're going out," he told Beckett as he handed her the small overnight bag.

"We'll get her back in time," Castle said. "We know it's a school night."

"And your mom told me to tell you to listen to Rick and Kate okay?" David said as he picked Mari up.

"I know Daddy," she replied, frowning at him for a second before she kissed his cheek. "Thank you for bringing my clothes."

"You're welcome, I'll see you when you come home," David said, kissing her cheek before kissing it a second time. "That one was from your mom."

"Go back to your homework," Beckett said then. "That way we won't be late for our reservation."

When the two had gone, David turned to his friends and said, "Well?"

"It's almost solved," Castle said simply.

"Almost?" David asked in surprise at that.

"We're keeping it quiet right now," Beckett explained.

"Okay, well, I hope it'll be finished tomorrow at the very least," David replied. "I'll see you guys when you bring her."

"Bye," Beckett said as the man left, Castle echoing her before he closed the door and leaned against it. "Do you think we can go upstairs right now?" she asked him. "Not for that," she said when he looked immediately interested.

"Then why?" Castle said.

"To check on this," Beckett said.

"Did it open up and bleed?" Castle asked as he let her lead the way upstairs.

"No, I just want you to put on a smaller band-aid," Beckett told him. "I don't need the _Report_ tomorrow saying they spotted us in the restaurant and thinking you assaulted me."

"Remember Brad's going to give them the story that Tillyard hit you," Castle said. "Though I wonder if they'll run it."

"We'll see in the morning," Beckett said simply before they headed to their room. She sat on one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace, waiting for her husband to grab a few things in the bathroom.

When he stepped out to her, Castle couldn't help wincing when he saw Beckett was taking off the band-aid. "That doesn't hurt?" he asked, heading over to her.

"Not too much," she told him simply. "Let me have the mirror," Beckett told him, holding out her hand. She studied the wound and sighed saying, "At least you can put a smaller one on."

Castle quickly placed on the other band-aid he'd grabbed after he cleaned it, and as they were leaving said, "Are you dressing up tonight too?"

Smiling wryly at that Beckett said, "Are you expecting me to?"

"Why not?" Castle said before he laughed slightly at the look she shot him over her shoulder.

Looking up as the two came into the kitchen; Julia smiled and said, "I thought you went to talk with Mari's daddy."

"We had to do something upstairs really quickly," Beckett said, leaning over and kissing the top of her head. "How's your homework going?"

"Well so far," Martha told them. "But they have an idea for their reading assignment."

"Do you want us to read for you?" Beckett asked the two with a smile.

"It would let us finish faster," Julia said.

"Let me see what you have to read," Castle said, taking the two books that they had on the table before sitting down.

After the two had finished their worksheets, Beckett took turns with Mari and Julia to read their assignments. By the time they had finished she got the three upstairs as the other two went to their rooms to get ready for dinner. She smiled as Castle waited at the door to their room to watch them go and she smirked at him as he stared at her even though he'd been about to walk in their room. She turned back and when she saw Julia, Mari and Eliza were watching her she shook her head as she kept smiling at them telling them, "Come on," ushering them further into the room.

* * *

"Mommy," Julia said as she hurried into Eliza's room. "I have my brush."

"And I see you undid your hair," Beckett replied, looking up at her. "You're going to need to wait but I'm almost finished with Mari's hair."

"Okay," Julia said as she stood next to the bed. She turned back and forth a few times, admiring her white and navy plaid dress before Eliza started to climb down her bed.

"Sweetie can you get her?" Beckett asked quickly.

"I got her!" Julia said, rushing over and stopping her sister before she could fall off. "You want to dance."

"Show like before," Eliza said eagerly.

"Better we dance the Waltz," Julia said before she spun her sister in her black patterned dress. "Wait, your bow isn't tied," she said, stopping her.

As soon as her sister had tied the red sash, Eliza jumped up and down before she was suddenly picked up in the air, crying out in joy as she knew it was her father.

"I see everyone's ready to go now," Castle said as he let the toddler kiss his cheek. "Except you Julia."

"I was waiting for Mommy to finish with Mari," the little girl replied as her friend got down from the bed.

"I'll take over here love," Castle told Beckett. He brought Julia over to the bed but before he could sit, he whispered to his wife before she merely smirked at him. He was a little taken aback by that, having expected a different reaction, but then took her hand, kissing the back of it before she left to get ready herself. "Okay, come on… oh, you're ready," he said turning to the bed and seeing she was sitting there already.

Looking at herself in the mirror once she had finished getting ready, Beckett went to Eliza's room, not too surprised to see no one was there. She glanced towards Martha's room, but soon heard her mother in law downstairs, the girls giggling in response to that. "I'm assuming you're heading out Martha? Either that or you're leaving without me," she told the others as she came into the family room where they were looking at the tree.

"No, I'm leaving," Castle's mother said, looking at her son and smiling at the way he was looking at his wife. "And you are too of course; now that you're here."

"Pretty Mommy," Eliza said, going over to her and touching the skirt of her dress she'd put on for dinner.

"I'm going to have to concur with her," Castle said.

"Come with me girls, I'm going to go and we should leave these two alone for a moment…" Martha said.

"We're coming," Beckett said with a laugh as the girls rushed out. "Slow down," she called to them. "Since we're leaving now too, we'll follow them."

"I'm sure you noticed the way he was looking at you," Martha said as she walked with her daughter in law to the entry where the three girls were waiting.

"I did, but we don't really need a moment," Beckett said in a mock flippant tone of voice.

"Hey, I'm right here you know Mother," Castle said. "And come on love, we don't?"

"He's not serious," Martha said. "You can tell by his tone."

"I know," Beckett said with a laugh as she looked at her husband over her shoulder.

"Oh, that's Gregory, my ride tonight," Martha said when there was a honk outside. "Quickly, goodnight Mari, it was great to see you today. Julia, Eliza, I love you both and I'll see you tomorrow," she said as she hugged the girls at the same time, kissing her granddaughters.

"Love you Gram," Julia said, Eliza echoing her. After they shared a kiss with her she watched with the others as Martha left, pulling on her coat. "I hope she has a good dinner."

"She will," Castle said. "But for us, we need to get bundled up and go." Once they were ready he drove them out to the restaurant, listening with Beckett to the three in the back talking about their letters to Santa that they'd all written.

"I think that dress is nice," Julia was saying as the car stopped at valet parking. "Does your mommy think you need to have a new dress?"

"No, but I thought this one was ugly," Mari replied before they got out of their seats. She looked down at her red polka dot dress and said, "You like it?"

"Yeah, you look nice, grown up a little," Julia said while they waited for Castle to get Eliza from her car seat.

"Not that grown up," Castle said quickly as he joined them with the toddler in his arms.

"You look grown up enough," Beckett told them while they were walking to the door.

"She's right, you both do," Castle said as the two girls looked up at him with smiles on their faces.

Inside the restaurant they were shown to their usual table with an extra chair added for Mari. As soon as they'd ordered though, she and Julia were standing together at the window; since the table behind them was empty.

"I don't know if you can see that much," Beckett said as she and Castle watched them. She then saw Eliza joining them and looked at her husband.

"She wanted to go," Castle said. "And we can order for them."

Sighing, though she was smiling at the same time, Beckett said, "So you got what you wanted."

"You dressing up?" Castle asked. When she nodded he grinned slightly and said, "Of course, and you're wearing that dress too."

Reaching across the table and squeezing her husband's hand, Beckett wasn't too surprised he was still appreciative of that dress; the same one she'd worn her first Mother's Day. She then looked with him over at the girls before he let her go. "What are you doing?" she asked as he came to her and pulled her chair out for her.

"Sit with me," Castle said. "They'll be alright by themselves."

"We will," Julia said quickly, having noticed her parents moving and looking over to see what they were doing.

Sitting with Castle on his side of the table, Beckett ordered their food with him before they sat back, talking quietly together. "I wonder if-" she started to say to him

"Wait," Castle said. "Didn't we say we'd stop talking about the case?"

"If you wanted to go to the club after our dinner Friday night," Beckett told him with a knowing smile. "If we do go out then."

"Oh, sorry, I've been thinking about it still," Castle said. "But yeah, I'm all for that idea."

"Of course you are," Beckett replied, rolling her eyes. "And I didn't expect you to stop thinking about the case, but hopefully this will distract you."

"I think it might," Castle said, turning to the girls. "You guys are done?" he asked teasingly as they were coming to the table.

"Yeah, we can't really see," Julia said with a sigh. "So what are you gonna do after you stop going to work on the case?"

"Write of course," Beckett said.

"And attend a lot of parties," Castle said. "Some of those with your mom and dad, Mari."

"Yeah, I remember Mommy saying I could stay with Julia and Eliza then," the little girl replied eagerly. "We can have a sleepover."

"At our house though," Julia said.

"That's okay, you have a nice house too," Mari replied simply. "We can play a lot of games then."

"You can," Castle said, looking over as their waitress came with their food. "But for now it's time to eat, I hope you're hungry."

The girls giggling as they'd been talking about that on the drive to the restaurant they started on their food as Beckett helped Eliza with hers. After they'd had a few bites, Mari asked Julia about her dance class and the discussion went from that to their classes easily as Castle and Beckett were quick to ask questions about what they'd been learning in them and that ended up lasting until they were getting ready to leave after he'd paid their bill.

"Does Mari have to go home now?" Julia asked as they were heading to the entry.

"It's still a little early," Castle said, checking his watch. " _Think we could go someplace else love_?" he directed to his wife.

" _If you're talking about going out for dessert, then yes_ ," Beckett said, shaking her head at his Irish. "Where did you have in mind?"

"What did they say?" Mari whispered to her friend as they were getting their coats.

"I think we're going somewhere else," Julia said with a frown. "They don't usually talk that fast."

"It means we're getting better at it. Put your coats on girls," Beckett said as Castle was doing that for Eliza.

Julia giggled and said as she was putting on her black coat, "I don't think I'll ever talk that good."

"Your Russian isn't too bad," Castle said before he grimaced. "I still think-"

"It's alright," Beckett interrupted him. "Teaching you Russian would have been a little harder with immersing ourselves in Irish at the same time. Plus you have a lot of trouble pronouncing the words."

"Hey… okay, so maybe you're right," Castle said as he and Beckett were putting on their coats. He smiled when Julia and Mari laughed at that and he looked over at Eliza. "Eliza!" he said, hurrying after her when he saw that she was slipping out the door as a couple were entering.

"Daddy!" the toddler complained as she was picked up.

"Sweetheart, you know you're not supposed to leave until we're all ready," Castle said as he waited for the others to join them.

"I wanna go," Eliza said, sounding a little teary.

"Eliza," Beckett said as she walked up to them. She took her into her arms and sighed as the toddler began to cry.

"Should we go home?" Castle asked, not surprised to see their oldest and Mari about to protest that.

"No, but we need a second before we go," Beckett replied. She walked away from the valet parking, lightly rocking Eliza in her arms as she murmured to her.

"How come we didn't go back inside?" Julia asked in surprise, since the night was cold.

"Just wait," Castle said. And a second later Eliza was laughing in her mother's arms, and he smiled as Beckett walked back to them. "Your mom's that good," he said, seeing Julia was smiling while Mari looked slightly surprised.

"Sorry Daddy," Eliza said as he leaned over to her once she and Beckett were with them.

"Don't worry, I know you just wanted to stretch your legs," Castle said, sharing a kiss with her. "Just make sure you tell me when you want to do that."

"Why?" Eliza asked as they were waiting for their car.

"So I can do the same," Castle said simply. "I'll take care of the girls love," he told his wife.

Though she could have gone into the car Beckett stayed where she was, making sure he didn't need any help as he got their youngest in her car seat and Julia and Mari in theirs with their belts on. "Any reason you said that?" she asked when he turned to find her still there.

"Oh you heard me," Castle said in amusement.

"I wasn't that far away, so yes, I did," Beckett said.

Shrugging, Castle said, "Because you are good, I would have taken a little longer to diffuse that situation."

"I don't think so," Beckett said. She glanced past him into the car and smiled before she leaned over to his ear and whispered into it.

"Really?" Castle asked, looking at her immediately.

"Really, but Mari has to go home, and the girls need to be in bed before that can happen," Beckett said with a taunting smile on her face. "And it's still early."

" _You kill me love_ ," Castle said as he put his hand on her back while he got the passenger door. " _Believe me when I say I enjoy it_."

" _It's why I don't stop doing it_ ," Beckett said simply. " _For obvious reasons_."

Shuddering after he'd closed the door, Castle hurried around the car to the driver's seat, and left the restaurant saying, "You guys enjoyed that?" looking in the back.

"Why Daddy?" Eliza asked before the other two could speak.

Laughing when Mari leaned over to look at her little sister in confusion, Julia said, "I think she means that of course we liked it."

"Most likely," Beckett said. "You notice she's started that phase?"

"I did, I thought it'd happen sooner after she turned two," Castle commented. "Does it annoy you?"

"Not really, I did the same when I was little," Beckett said. "Julia did too."

"Of course," Castle said, reaching over at that and squeezing his wife's hand.

"But why do we ask that when we're little?" Julia inquired

"I think at that age you want to know the reason for everything," Castle commented before he turned off the street into a parking lot.

"Here?" Eliza asked, not able to see where they were, but feeling the car stopping.

"Yep, your mom said it was okay," Castle said.

"I never said here exactly was," Beckett said, looking at him. When he paused in taking off his seatbelt she pushed at him and said, "Go," laughing slightly at his hesitation.

After helping the girls out again, Castle followed them after Beckett into the bakery and he said, "Surprised?" as his wife hung back.

"A little, but at least you listened to them," she replied as they watched the three go to the display case where the cupcakes were. "I'm surprised Julia hasn't-" she started to say as they walked over to them.

"Mommy, can I have your phone? I want to take some pictures," Julia said eagerly, turning to her.

"I spoke too soon," Beckett said as she handed the little girl her phone. "Decide what you want to get at the same time please."

"Are we going to eat these here?" Mari asked.

"We'll take them home," Castle said, looking at Beckett. When she nodded he then said, "We thought you'd want to play a little with Julia before going home."

"Oh I do, thank you," Mari said quickly before her friend was getting her attention.

"Mommy, see?" Eliza was telling Beckett as she tugged on her hand.

"I do; which one do you want to share with me?" she asked, leaning over slightly.

"That, the bird," Eliza said eagerly, pointing to the edible penguins on top of light blue frosting.

"That's a penguin," Castle said, leaning down to kiss her temple. "Remember we saw them before?"

"Yeah, pen…in," Eliza slowly pronounced before she giggled as she looked at her parents.

"That's a start," Castle said in amusement.

"What are you gonna get Daddy?" Julia was asking as she handed her mother back her phone.

"This one is screaming my name," Castle told her, pointing down to a cupcake with skis made out of fondant stuck on the top.

"Nice choice," Beckett said. "And it doesn't surprise me you went for the skis."

"They look like his, Mommy," Julia said.

"Do you two know what you want?" Beckett asked. When they nodded she waited, but when they didn't say which, she laughed and told them, "When you say yes, you're letting me know you've picked out your cupcakes. So which ones? And remember we only have a little more than an hour left before you have to get home Mari."

"I'll pick that one," the little girl said, pointing to one with a snowman standing on the top in the pale blue frosting with earmuffs and a dark green scarf made of fondant.

"Nice choice," Castle said. "I have to wonder if you'll eat that, or the penguin you two got."

"We will," Beckett said. "Julia, we're waiting for you."

"I think… this one," the little girl said finally after hesitating between two. She looked at the one she hadn't picked; made to look like an ornament with a little holder for a hook on the top; and then said to her friend, "I think I got a good one."

"Yeah, you did," Mari assured her friend, squeezing her hand tightly. "But they're so pretty."  
"I know," Julia said, watching as the worker behind the counter took her choice, one with snowflakes made of candy in light and dark blue and white on a pearly blue fondant. "We're gonna come back right?" she asked her mother as Beckett ushered them to the door to wait as Castle paid.

"I think so, but not that often," Beckett said as she ran her hand over the back of Eliza's hair.

"No, but if they make special cupcakes for Christmas," Julia said.

"You want to see what else they make," Beckett said. When her oldest nodded she smiled and said, "I'm sure we'll come back, if the cupcakes are good."  
"They will be, they can't put that much effort into their decoration and not be good," Castle said as he walked back to them with a large pink box.

"Are those gonna be okay?" Mari asked worriedly as they headed out to the car.

"I'll hold the box," Beckett assured them as all three girls were looking worried. She sat down first and wasn't surprised when Castle; after setting the box in her hands; kissed her quickly on the lips. "Sneak," she teased him as the girls were watching them and giggling softly.

"I take whatever chance I can get," Castle said before he went to the three. "Okay, everyone back in for the last time tonight."

"I can get in," Mari said, going to her seat.

"And I can help Eliza," Julia assured her father. After he'd gotten her little sister into her seat she got the straps buckled and said, "See?"

"Great, so now we won't need to do that when you're with us," Castle said, making sure everything was secure before Julia was set. He kissed his daughters before getting out and he could hear Eliza asking, "Why?" as he did so. "Now what does she want to know?" he asked his wife as he started the car.

"I'm not sure, she just asked," Beckett said. "Why what, sweetie?"

"Cakes?" Eliza asked.

"Why are they decorated like this?" Beckett asked. When the toddler frowned and shook her head she smiled and said, "Why are we getting them?" When Eliza nodded to that she said, "To finish off our special night."

"Why special Mommy?" Eliza asked quickly.

"Because Mari came to dinner with us," Julia said, taking her sister's hand. She smiled when Eliza reached out to Mari and jumped in her seat, swinging their hands as much as she could in the space she had. She couldn't help start singing the song _Any Road_ , smiling as Castle and Beckett glanced back at her at a red light.

When they'd gotten home and Castle had parked in the garage he told his wife, after the girls were going into the house with Julia cradling the box carefully in her arms, "I think tonight was a great night for them."

"Obviously," Beckett said simply before she took his hand and they followed them to the kitchen. "Okay, we'll bring these out to you," she said after Castle had set the box on the counter. "But for now, you three have to get everything off and then pick out what you want to play."

Julia was quick to make a few suggestions as they were hurrying to the entry to get their coats, scarves and mittens off. As soon as they'd finished, she hurried with her little sister and friend over to the family room, trying to keep Eliza from outright running.

Walking past the room, Castle couldn't help stopping his wife in the doorway to watch the three looking through the cabinet with their games. When Beckett tugged on his arm he followed her and said, "Does that make me lose whatever machismo I've ever had loving to see them like that?"

"Not really," Beckett said, looking at him. She saw that he was semi-serious and she then had to smile saying, "No, because it means you love our daughters. What made you ask that?"

"I wanted you to point that out," Castle said simply. He went over to her then and wrapped his arm around her waist as she was setting the cupcakes on little plates before pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "That makes you love me more of course," he murmured to her.

Nudging him in the side with her elbow, Beckett said, "Don't speak for me again."

"Right, sorry," Castle said, though he knew she was kidding. "But you do love me right?"

Pausing as she'd finished getting the cupcakes out, Beckett turned to her husband and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly before she kissed him. Since they couldn't leave the girls unsupervised for too long she kept it short; but it was no less enjoyable. "I think I do," she told him, looking into his eyes.

"Great, because I love you too," Castle said before he allowed himself to brush his lips against hers. He was tempted to do that again, and many more times a lot deeper, but he heard Eliza's giggle and forced himself to let go of her. "I'll get them some milk… Coffee?" he asked his wife.

"That would be nice," Beckett said, waiting for him and watching as he got everything together. Once he'd finished, they went to the family room and she smiled seeing the pile of games on the coffee table, not surprised at the number of them, or the fact the three were looking at the ornaments on the tree.

"Stay there," Castle said quickly when they turned around. He got his phone out and told them, "Stand straight and smile. One, two, three…"

"Did it come out good?" Julia said before her mother abruptly left.

"Mommy!" Eliza cried, running after her.

"Easy sweetie, I'm just getting my camera," Beckett said, stopping before going into hers and Castle's office. She reached out to the toddler and took her hand before going to where her camera was next to her computer.

"I sent it to David and Rebecca," Castle told his wife when she came back in with their daughter. "It was a nice picture."

"You didn't want us to take another did you?" Julia asked as Beckett sat on the couch.

"Since you two seem to want to get started on your cupcakes; no," Beckett said. "Wait until I take some pictures…" she said suddenly before her daughter could take a bite from hers. She took shots of Julia holding her cupcake, then Mari and finally Eliza and Castle before she let them start eating them.

Watching as she took the penguin off their cupcake, Eliza giggled as she held the fondant animal saying, "Do I eat?"

"Go ahead," Beckett said, taking another quick picture of the toddler giggling. She then cut the cupcake almost in half, giving the smaller piece to the little girl.

"Looks like it was pretty good," Castle said in amusement as Eliza was licking her fingers.

"They are good Mommy," Julia said then. "We need to go back Daddy."

"I know, and we will, but not all the time," Castle said.

"I hope you two know we can't play all these games," Beckett said, looking at the pile next to them while they were eating.

"We know, but we couldn't decide," Julia said. "And could we play a game for our ages after the UNO game for Eliza?"

"Yes, because after that I'll take you home," Beckett said to Mari.

"You want to see my mommy?" the little girl asked with a smile. When Julia's mother nodded she smiled and said, "She'll be happy to see you again."

"Are you still excited?" Julia asked her friend. "For your little brother or sister?"

"A lot, but I hope Mommy will be okay," Mari replied with a frown. "Daddy gets worried so much."

"That's normal," Castle assured her. "I worried about Kate, a lot."

"My whole pregnancy," Beckett said wryly as she looked over at him from trying to clean Eliza's mouth.

"It's hard not to worry," Castle said simply. "But your mom's fine Mari, dads just worry about moms."

Mari smiled slightly when Julia squeezed her hand and then nodded before finishing her cupcake. "I can't wait to play with my little brother or sister games like this," she said as Julia; finished as well; grabbed the little barn that held the game.

"You have to wait," Julia told her in a matter of fact tone of voice. "Remember how long I had to wait to get to play with Eliza?"

"Well, I'll still have them to play with," Mari said.

"How are we going to play?" Castle asked, since only four people could.

"You guys play, I'll take some pictures," Beckett said. "And help Eliza if she needs it."

"Me?" Eliza asked with a wide smile on her face.

"Yes you sweetie," Beckett said. She watched as the others started to pick out their game pieces; small animal shapes with some farmer ones as well. She took her first picture when Eliza went first, showing her and Castle the piece of a red sheep. Watching the game, she took photographs when the urge struck her, not checking the screen of the camera until the game had finished with Eliza winning.

"Not too bad Lizzy," Julia was telling her as her little sister was clapping.

"Now what do you two want to play," Castle said, making a quick check of his watch.

"I don't need to go back yet?" Mari asked.

"Not yet," Castle replied. "You have enough time for one more game."

"Want to play this one?" Julia asked her friend.

"Which one is that?" Beckett asked as her daughter got out a game. "Pictionary?" she said with a smile.

"You can still take pictures," Julia replied.

"That's fine, I almost thought you were going to get the Monopoly game," Beckett said.

"I almost did but I know you and Daddy would say it was too long to play before it was time to take Mari home," Julia said with a wide smile on her face, not surprised her mother had guessed that.

"Okay, so now we have to split up," Castle said as he helped them get the game board set up. "You want to play with me?" he asked Julia.

"Can we play together?" she asked.

"Hold on," Beckett said, starting to get up. When her husband stopped her she looked up at him, watching as he walked over to the cabinet where their games were, and smiled before she said, "You were hoping I'd take pictures of you weren't you?"

"Perhaps…" Castle said, walking back with the deck of cards to their Pictionary game. "We'll have to invite Rebecca and David over to play again," he told her as he sat with her. "We haven't done that for a while."

"Next year, when their baby is a little older," Beckett said. "Okay, so I guess we'll be red," she said in amusement when she looked to see that the blue and red game pieces were at the start.

The game began with Julia and Mari going first, and when they reached their space, they looked at each other before giggling, as one of them had to draw.

"Maybe you should play rock, paper, scissors to decide," Castle suggested.

"I'll go first," Julia said, smiling at her dad. She picked up her card and looked at it for a moment.

"Can you draw it?" Beckett asked, smiling again when Castle squeezed her hand at the way Eliza was looking over her sister's shoulder. "Come here Eliza," she told the toddler. "Finish your milk."

"I can, but I don't know if Mari will know it," Julia said with a frown.

"Let us know when you're ready," Castle said, holding the hour glass.

Finally Julia nodded to him, and proceeded to draw a tall shape with a pointed tip, making Mari guess, "A pencil!" She bit at her lower lip for a moment before her friend drew something else; a circle with some tiny lines in it. "A… Big Ben!" she then said.

"That's it?" Castle asked in surprise as Julia cried, "That's it!" He took the card she'd picked out and said, "Yeah, it's Big Ben. Come on Julia, she's seen it before because of our Great Britain travel book."

"And your calendar," Beckett said before she rolled for them. They ended up landing on the same space Julia and Mari were on, and she drew a card from the other deck.

"Why are you looking at me like that for?" Castle asked as she was staring at him. "Come on, I can guess."

"Go ahead," Beckett told Mari who'd taken the hourglass.

As Beckett started to sketch, Castle watched as a head appeared but waited as he didn't think that was it. When she then drew what looked to be a pair of shoes he said, "High heels… head over heels," realizing what the picture was supposed to be about.

"You did that fast," Julia said. "You took that card from our cards," she then told her mother teasingly.

"No I didn't," Beckett said though she smiled at her daughter. "Now it's your turn," she said as she took a picture of the two across from them.

The game progressed with both teams running very close together until Julia and Mari were able to reach the end first. They high fived each other and hugged tightly as Beckett was taking another photograph, that turning into two as Eliza rushed over to throw her arms around them, squealing in reaction to them.

"Alright, I think we need to get you home, Mari," Castle was saying as he got the cards back together.

"We do and I'll take her remember?" Beckett said.

"Oh, Mommy, can Mari spend the night on Friday?" Julia said in slight distress as she and Mari went to the entry after her mother hand in hand.

"Alexis is going to be here," Beckett gently reminded her. "But next weekend we'll see what happens, and maybe we'll invite her over okay?"

"Thank you," Mari said eagerly before she put her arms through her coat that Beckett held open for her. "It was fun," she said with a smile as Julia helped her button it up.

"It was, I was really happy that you got to come," the little girl was saying. When Castle had come over and had helped her friend with her scarf, hat and mittens, Julia then hugged her tightly saying, "I'll see you tomorrow when we walk to school."

"I hope we walk," Mari replied before Eliza was giving her a hug.

"I'm sure we'll have the chance," Castle said. "Bye Mari, tell your parents the three of us said goodnight."

"Okay, night," Mari replied with a smile on her face before she took Beckett's hand.

Outside the two walked to the Foster home in silence, trying to go quickly to make sure they kept warm. When they were let inside by David, Beckett smiled at him and said, "On time?"

"You are," Rebecca said, walking over to them. She waited for her husband to help their daughter out of her things and then hugged her tightly to her. "I'm guessing she had a great time with the way she's smiling," she said to Beckett.

"We all did," she said. "I just wanted to check on you, see how you're doing."

"Good, we had a nice dinner together, and now we're going to head up to bed where it's warm," Rebecca said, smiling down at Mari when she groaned. "I'll try and walk with you to school tomorrow."

"We'll see you then, night," Beckett said, hurrying back out.

"Does Eliza have to have a bath?" Julia was asking her father once Beckett and Mari had left.

"No, your mom already gave her one," Castle said. "But while we're waiting for her to come back, let's clean up everything for her." He and Julia put away the board games except for one and when they had finished, turning back to Eliza, he smiled as the little girl was sitting next to the coffee table on the floor, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "I think someone's a little tired," he commented, picking her up and kissing her cheek.

"Should you put her in pajamas?" Julia asked.

"No," Eliza said in protest.

"I think we'll wait for your mom," Castle said. "And speaking of her…" he said as he stood up with the toddler in his arms while the front door was being unlocked.

"Someone's sleepy?" Beckett asked with a smile as she saw her family walking up to her.

"Yep, she wants you to change her," Castle said. He tried to put Eliza down, but she held onto his neck, so he had to remain standing. "How was Rebecca?"

"She's doing fine," Beckett said as she hung her coat. "I'm actually glad we took Mari."

"They enjoyed their night?" Castle inquired.

"I think they did," Beckett said before she went over to him, holding her arms out to their youngest.

"There's time for us to play a game right Mommy?" Julia asked as they were heading upstairs.

"Of course," Beckett said absently as she kissed Eliza's temple while the toddler was turning her head.

Inside her bedroom, Castle waited with Julia as Beckett got Eliza changed into her pajamas and then took her into the bathroom himself to brush her teeth. "You're going to sleep so good tonight," he told her teasingly after she had finished rinsing out her mouth.

"Why?" Eliza asked drowsily before she yawned.

"You were up to a lot today," Castle said as he carried her out to the room. He felt her suddenly going limp and turned around asking Beckett and Julia, "She's asleep?"

"She is," Beckett replied as their oldest next to her nodded. "We'll have to say goodnight to her quickly," she said as they followed him to the bed where he laid her down.

"Night Lizzy," Julia whispered to her little sister, kissing her cheek. "Love you."

"I love you sweetheart, sleep tight," Castle murmured next to the toddler, kissing her forehead.

Leaning over the bed, Beckett pressed a kiss to Eliza's forehead as well, telling her softly, "Goodnight sweetie, I love you too." She then made sure she was tucked in before she put her hand on Julia's shoulder, leading her to the door. "So what did you pick out for us to play?" she asked the little girl after Castle had closed the door and lights behind them.

"Jenga!" Julia said happily.

"Did you tell her to pick that one?" Beckett asked her husband.

"No, she left it behind while I was putting everything away," Castle said. "I think she wants to see my hands shake."

"They don't shake Daddy," Julia said in exasperation as he said that every time they played that game.

"One of these days, someone's hand is going to shake," Castle told her as they entered the family room. "Only a matter of time."

Shaking her head, Beckett helped him stack the wooden blocks before they let Julia go first. Her turn was successful so she herself went next and managed not to knock down the tower. When she saw where Castle was pulling from she said, "Really?"

"What, you don't think I could do it?" he asked her.

"If you pull from there the game is going to be over," Julia complained. "Before we even start!"

"Alright, alright," Castle said, pretending to grumble. He was going to reach over when his wife pushed at him and he laughed saying, "I said I wouldn't take from the bottom. Tell you what though, if we play for too long then I'll go ahead and pull from there."

"Okay," Beckett said with a brief smile before he pulled out a block. They played until she ended up having no choice but to take from where the tower would fall, Julia crying out, "Jenga!"

"Can we play again?" the little girl asked hopefully.  
"It depends; do you want to read at all?" Castle asked.

"Not tonight," Julia said. She couldn't help giggle when her parents looked at her in surprise and said, "I'm serious."

"Do you want to play this again?" Beckett asked.

Julia shook her head and went over to the cabinet to grab their UNO deck before going back to them. "I can't wait until Eliza can play this," she told her parents as she took the box with Jenga to put away.

"Neither can I," Castle said, shuffling the deck once Julia had returned to the table. Since she still liked seeing him shuffle he made sure he did it in front of her when they were playing card games. He dealt their hands and then picked up his as he and Julia waited for Beckett to go first.

The game went quickly that time, much to Julia's disappointment, though she ended up winning. She tried to get her parents to let them play another one but Beckett was adamant about her going to bed so she went with her mother while Castle was putting away the game. After she'd brushed her teeth she hurried out to her mother with her brush and when she was undoing her French braid she said, "Are you sure you're okay Mommy?"

"I'm fine," Beckett replied, brushing out Julia's hair. "Why do you ask?"

"Your… cut?" the little girl asked, hesitating slightly.

"It is," Beckett said, looking up at Castle was walking into the room. They shared a lingering glance before she said, "I was trying to stop someone from hurting a horse."

"Oh, is it okay?" Julia asked worriedly, starting to turn back to look at her mother before she was stopped.

"It's fine," Beckett reassured her. "But the man hit me with a riding crop."

Julia waited for her mother to continue, but when she didn't she whirled around and said, "Was it on purpose?"

"He was trying to stop her from stopping him," Castle said, not surprised at the little girl's concern.

"It doesn't hurt," Beckett told her as Julia's eyes went to her band-aid. "Trust us."

"Okay," Julia said, sighing. She then went to her father and hugged him tightly saying, "Night Daddy, I love you."

"I love you too Julia, night," Castle said before he leaned down and shared a kiss with her.

Beckett took Julia's hand and led her to the bed, helping her into it before she shared a kiss with her as well, feeling her arms come around her tightly. "I love you too sweetie," she said, smoothing her hair away from her forehead.

"Love you too Mommy," Julia said, smiling up at her as her mother tucked her in. Holding her Stitch doll close to her, she turned onto her side and watched her parents go to the door. She closed her eyes and sighed, feeling a little tired herself after that day, but happy with how it went.

Back in the family room, Castle said, "You want to play another game?"

"No, I think I'm good for now," Beckett said, sitting on the couch first. She smiled as she watched him grabbing a remote from under the TV and listened to the soft music starting to play. "You're trying to start something," she commented as he came over to sit with her.

"You know, I'm really not," Castle said matter of factly. He wrapped his arm around her and leaned over, kissing her softly before he pulled away to check her reaction. When she smiled he quickly leaned down to close the gap between them again, that kiss a little stronger than the one before it. But he didn't let it last for too long, pulling back to press his forehead against hers. "You're tired," he said, able to tell that from the way she had responded to him.

"A little, you aren't?" Beckett asked.

"Maybe," Castle said. He laughed when his wife pushed on his shoulder before he leaned down and kissed her again.

When they had parted Beckett was a little startled when her husband stood up suddenly, sitting up as he held his hand out to her. "You want to dance?" she asked in slight amusement.

"You don't?" Castle asked. Before he'd finished asking though she was taking his hand and he was quick to pull her up. "You know," he said as he quickly put the song back to the beginning. "I wonder why we didn't have this one play at our wedding."

"We didn't hear it until after," Beckett replied as they wrapped their arms around each other. She pressed her cheek to his as he started to sway and she pulled back slightly as he began to slightly murmur the lyrics in her ear. But the surprise was quick and she was soon leaning against him as she listened to her husband.

_I bless the day I found you  
_ _I want to stay around you  
_ _And so I beg you, let it be me_

_Don't take this heaven from one  
_ _If you must cling to someone  
_ _Now and forever, let it be me_

_Each time we meet love  
_ _I find complete love  
_ _Without your sweet love what would life be_

Castle could feel Beckett turning her head towards him and he turned, kissing her gently before he was holding her to him again, murmuring the lyrics to her.

_So never leave me lonely  
_ _Tell me you love me only  
_ _And that you'll always let it be me_

_Each time we meet love  
_ _I find complete love  
_ _Without your sweet love what would life be_

_So never leave me lonely  
_ _Tell me you love me only  
_ _And that you'll always let it be me_

"So you would have had this one play?" Beckett asked slightly teasingly as they let go of each other when the next song began.

Turning off the music, Castle took her hand before he led her out of the room, going up the stairs. They checked on the girls quickly, seeing both were still asleep, and he waited to speak until they were in their room. "Too sentimental?" he asked her.

"You waited that long to ask?" Beckett replied. She shook her head and said, "Not really, if it was then _Always_ would have been too."

"Good point," Castle said. "So…" he said, looking at her after he'd locked the door behind them.

"I'd like to take a bath," Beckett said. "After can you…" she said, motioning to her cheek.

"Sure, I can help you with the bath too," Castle said, taking her hand again. Before she could say anything they were going into the bathroom where he started to fill the tub. As he sat on the edge to wait for the water he looked over at his wife, seeing she was leaning against the sinks watching him. "Oh, sorry," he said, standing up quickly.

"I thought you forgot," Beckett said before she turned away from him. She smiled as he unzipped her dress and watched him in the mirror as he stayed behind her. When he lingered a little running his fingers over her bare back that was exposed, she said, "The water?"

"Should have told me that after it was ready," Castle said, rushing over to the tub to turn it off. Once it was ready he turned around to help her undress when she was already doing so. He took her dress, holding it in his arms before she unbuckled her heels and set them aside. Taking a deep breath, he didn't stop looking at her as she was removing her panties and was soon naked. He set the dress between the sinks before he held her hand while she was stepping into the tub.

Beckett felt like commenting on that but held back as she could tell from the look in his eyes that he wasn't going to bother to reply to her. She leaned back, breathing out in pleasure as she immediately felt relaxed. She waved her hand absently as Castle said he'd grab her pajamas, watching him taking her dress and shoes before leaving. She slid down further in the water then, and closed her eyes, letting the heat of the water relax her muscles, tense after everything that had gone on with the case that day. She felt for a moment like she should think about it again but shook that idea away as she reminded herself that it was essentially solved. It was then she was able to feel more at ease though she could dimly hear her husband moving around outside the room, smiling as she had to wonder what he was doing instead of rushing back to her as she knew he wanted to do.

Castle tried to school himself not to go back to his wife but it was difficult to do. Finally though he was back inside the bathroom, rolling his sleeves up his arms as he'd ditched his blazer after getting her things put away. He knelt next to her, watching as she slowly opened her eyes. "Hey," he said, watching the smile that spread across her lips in response to him.

"Hi, you took a while to come back," Beckett said as she raised her hand from the edge of the tub to brush her fingertips against his lower lip.

"I thought you could use some time alone," Castle said, holding her hand to kiss her fingers.

"If I had you wouldn't be able to come back in here," Beckett replied simply, watching him as he laughed for a moment. "So you came in to watch?" she asked him.

"You know I'm a voyeur," Castle told her. While he was saying that though he was getting a washcloth, dipping it in the water before he began to run it slowly down her back from her shoulders. He watched her as he was doing that, seeing the way she shivered slightly with every touch of his hand after it. He leaned over and kissed the top of her shoulder where her skin was dry saying, "There's something about this I love."

"This meaning what, the bath?" Beckett asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

Castle didn't reply to that, only leaned over, kissing her shoulder yet again. He murmured that he loved her against her skin, feeling her suddenly turn in response to that. He was quick to sit up on his knees all the way, not really caring that the water on her arms was dripping onto his back as they kissed. He held her the best he could while they were passionate in the meeting of their lips and he soon slipped his tongue in her mouth. He felt his wife's hand come up to the back of his head, running over his hair before he pulled away from her. "Come on," he said before he had her get up.

Beckett smiled at how quickly he'd spoken that but stood up as he held her hand again. She watched him while he dried her off, surprised when he didn't try to make his passes with the towel teasing. But she was a little relieved that they seemed to be on the same page with that and once he'd finished she stepped close to him, kissing him gently on the lips before she went to her pajamas he'd brought in. She could feel his eyes on her as she dressed but kept her gaze averted from him until she had finished. "What about you?" she asked him.

"Me what?" Castle asked, purposefully misunderstanding. He smiled when she rolled her eyes but then had to hurry as she was grabbing his hand, pulling him out to the bedroom. When she led him to the closet, he told her, "You don't want to give me a bath?"

"No, change, you're all wet," Beckett said, watching him grab his pajamas.

"Yes and you do realize that's because of you," Castle said before looking at his wife. When he saw her arch look as he turned to her, he quickly said, "Of course you do."

Waiting until he'd finished changing, Beckett wrapped her arms around him as he got to the doorway and kissed him swiftly on the lips before she let him deepen that with a second one. Needing to breathe a bit after they'd started she then remembered her cut and took him back inside the bathroom, watching as he cleaned it quickly and then put another band-aid on it. "I really hope this heals before Christmas," she told him.

"It should, it's not too bad," Castle said, washing his hands. "Whoa, hold on, that's my job," he told her quickly when he saw she was about to undo the bun her hair was in.

"Your job?" Beckett asked with a slight smirk.

"Sure," Castle said, taking the pins out before the mass of her locks tumbled around her shoulders.

"And after all the times you watch it do that…" Beckett said teasingly as he'd shuddered; as usually occurred.

"I can't help it," Castle said as he was gathering her in his arms before he kissed her sensuously, not surprised when she responded immediately to him.

When they had parted after a few more quick kisses, Beckett let him take her over to the armchairs in front of the fire and she watched as he turned it on. Waiting for him to sit in one chair she sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around him as they were quiet. They listened to the ocean outside their room before he pressed his lips to the side of her head and she turned to him, kissing him back as she let herself be willingly led into it again. Pulling away from him eventually she whispered against his lips, "I love you Rick."

"I adore you my love," Castle said simply before they embraced one another tightly.

The room was quiet except for a few gasped breaths of air as the two kept meeting each other for another kiss and couldn't seem to stop. Finally they had to, as they needed to breathe for more than those gasps and they calmed down, still holding one another closely as they did so.

"Warm?" Castle asked when he was finally able to speak without panting.

"I am," Beckett said. "I-" she was about to say when there was a knock at the door. "Oh god, I hope Julia didn't have a nightmare," she said, knowing already that it was their oldest.

"It's been a couple years love," Castle said as he followed her over to the door.

Reaching it first, Beckett opened the door, finding that it was Julia, but she was holding her little sister who was crying in her arms. "Eliza," she said once she'd taken in the scene of the two of them. She leaned down and quickly took the toddler from Julia saying, "What happened?"

"I heard her crying, she woke me up," Julia told them as she leaned against her father while he kissed the side of Eliza's head.

"Why don't we sit down?" Castle asked before he led Beckett over to their bed, sitting on the end with her. He picked Julia up; having stopped her before she could climb up; and set her on his lap as he watched his wife rock their youngest.

"Okay sweetie," Beckett said gently, kissing her forehead. "What did you see?"

"Monsters," Eliza whispered after her mother had taken her thumb out of her mouth.

"There aren't any," Julia said quickly, leaning against their father. "They won't stay where Mommy and Daddy are."

"She's right," Castle said, brushing a tear off Eliza's tiny cheek with his thumb. "And you know there aren't any monsters anyways."

"No?" Eliza whispered. When her parents shook their heads she then asked, "The water?"

"It's because it's dark," Beckett said, not surprised to hear it was the black of the water at night that scared her. "Tomorrow morning it'll be blue again."

Eliza seemed to think about that before she sighed and then leaned against her mother more, holding her around the neck tightly.

"I think we should let her head out to the beach tomorrow with her gram," Castle suggested as he and Julia looked at the toddler who was staring up at them.

"Maybe we can go down when it's… night," Julia whispered the last word. "And show her the stars and talk about the fishies in the water."

"We could," Beckett said, looking at to see that Eliza hadn't reacted negatively to that. "Actually we should, but we need to wait for a night when it's slightly warmer than now."

"That probably won't be until spring you know," Castle pointed out to her.

"Then we'll have to wait for then," Beckett said. "But for now trust us when we say the ocean doesn't change at night."

"Kay," Eliza said. "Jules say," she told her big sister.

"Say what?" Castle asked.

"And it better not be to go down to the beach now," Beckett said in a mock stern tone of voice.

"Can we sleep here tonight?" Julia asked after she and Eliza giggled at that.

"We won't really fit," Castle said. "But we'll tuck you two in again; after your sister's asleep."

Rubbing her hand on Eliza's back, Beckett carefully rocked her, unable to help humming the song she and Castle had danced to earlier that night. She could see Julia recognized it, as she glanced up at her in surprise, but she didn't say anything until she felt the toddler was asleep, limp in her arms. "Come on," she said in a whisper before she led them out.

"I can walk Daddy," Julia said in slight protest as he didn't let her go.

Castle had to smile when she then wrapped her arms around him and he carried her to Eliza's room where they both kissed her before Beckett was tucking her in. When their youngest was set, he followed his wife to Julia's room, sharing a kiss with her before he set her on the bed.

"Why were you humming George's song Mommy?" the little girl asked as she suddenly remembered.

"Your daddy and I danced to it earlier tonight," Beckett said as she sat on the edge of the bed while the little girl was sitting up next to her. "And the music was slow enough to help put your sister to sleep. Can I ask you something now?"

"Sure," Julia said, looking a little surprised at her mother saying that.

"Are you okay?" Beckett asked.

Julia studied her mother then, and reached up, brushing her first two fingertips against her mother's skin under the band-aid. "I am, are you?" she then said.

"Very," Beckett said, hugging her tightly then.

"You're a lot like your mother," Castle said with a slight smile as he was watching them.

"Why?" Julia asked. She giggled a little and looked at her mother saying, "I sound like Eliza," hugging her mother back as she embraced her at that.

"You're strong," Castle said, going over and kissing the top of her head. "Just like her."

"Good," Julia said, kissing her mother's cheek.

"Okay, are you ready to get back to sleep?" Beckett said, smiling at her.

"Yeah," Julia said before she yawned. "Night Mommy, Daddy, I love you."

"We love you too sweetie," Beckett said before she stood, leaning down to share a kiss with her after she'd tucked her in.

"What your mom said," Castle said, smiling as Julia gently giggled before he kissed her. He took Beckett's hand and led her back to their room when their daughter was lying down and tucked in, closing their door behind him. "Okay?" he asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Beckett asked, preoccupied in taking off her robe. "Oh, you think I want to continue our little make out session… actually, I'm really tired love, I-" she started to say apologetically.

"No, it's okay, I am too," Castle said quickly before she thought she was one sided in that. "I just wanted to make sure." When his wife's lips turned up in a smile he asked, "What?"

"You wore yourself out last night didn't you?" Beckett said teasingly.

"Slightly," Castle said. "And so did you, you know."

"I'm aware of that, because that's why I'm tired," Beckett said. "Well, that and having to deflect an angry man with a crop. Have I ever told you how much I hate those?"

"And yet I seem to remember you making repeated threats to use one on my ass," Castle joked.

"That's because it would keep you in line," Beckett said as he came over to her, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Which I don't think you'd-" she started to say before he was kissing her. She hurried to respond, a little surprised when he kept it very calm, but guessed it was more than likely that he really was tired. She kissed him back for as long as she could before she had to breathe again and she pressed her forehead to his. After a while like that, she finally let go of him and pulled him over to the bathroom so they could finished and get to bed and get some much needed rest.

Finishing after his wife, Castle walked out and saw that she was sitting on the edge of their bed, looking at a book. He knew just from the color of it that it was the book he'd had made for Beckett for her birthday the year before with pictures of both Julia and Eliza from when they'd been under a year old. And without looking to see how far in the book she was he knew what picture she was looking at. He went around the bed to sit next to her, putting his arm around her and kissing the side of her head.

"I always think that," Beckett commented, looking up from the picture of Julia taking a bath at about four or six months; they weren't sure. "When everyone says she's like me."

"You shouldn't," Castle told her simply. "You-"

"You don't understand though, I do love to hear that," Beckett said, turning the page. She smiled as the picture there was of Julia sitting on the rocking chair in Eliza's room, cradling her little sister in her arms. "Do you think I'll ever stop feeling that guilt?" she asked her husband frankly then, turning to him.

"You mean us," Castle said.

"You don't really need to worry about that, she knew you as Castle first and continued to until you became her daddy," Beckett pointed out. She then thought for a moment and sighed saying, "I tell myself with every year that goes by, she's not going to remember."

"Then keep telling yourself that, I know I will," Castle said, rubbing his hand up and down her arm as she turned the page again. He looked down at the pictures of their daughters on both pages and asked, "Do you regret this?"

"Hmm, it's about time for you to ask again isn't it?" Beckett said in amusement as she sat up to look at him. "And I'll tell you what I say every time you ask, no. No I don't regret leaving the NYPD or the city. Or getting married to you, having Eliza or becoming a writer. I know my priorities Rick, and they're us and our girls."

"You've memorized that haven't you?" Castle asked in slight amusement since she'd the same thing the last time he'd asked her that.

"It makes it easier to answer when you ask every… six months or so," Beckett told him. She then grew a little serious as she asked, "And you?"

"Not at all. I agree with you in the fact that I know my priorities, my girls," Castle began, including Alexis there though he knew his wife was aware of that. "My mom and more importantly you."

Beckett wanted to comment on that; about him kissing her ass for a reason; but she let it slide as she leaned over to him to kiss him. She cupped his cheek then and returned the kiss before they pulled away. She then turned her attention back to the book, flipping through the pages a little idly. "I can't really regret this," she said, studying the picture on the last page of the book, Julia with Eliza in the pool. She smiled when she felt Castle's lips on her temple and she closed the book, putting it back on the bookcase opposite their bed.

"Now what are you thinking?" Castle said as he watched her walk around to him.

"About Eliza," Beckett told him.

"Yeah, you think that idea would work?" Castle asked, going to his side of the bed as she got onto hers.

"It might, but what we should probably do more is go at sunset until it gets dark," Beckett said, laying back and watching him grab the covers to pull over them.

"Oh, that's a great idea," Castle said, pausing as he thought that over. "Since it's that transition that she's afraid of. And you know in the summer we can actually stay in the water. Or would that be too much?"

"No, because if we start in the spring we can gradually slide into that," Beckett replied. "And that would help her; at least I hope." When her husband laughed slightly she queried, "That's funny?"

"No, just us acting like parents together," Castle said.

"We'll get used to it at some point I'm sure," Beckett said, smiling for a moment as she knew what he meant. They'd been parenting since their first time in the Hamptons with Julia, but there were still moments when they were both a little in awe of that fact; since they'd had to spend so long controlling themselves so their relationship wouldn't be revealed. "Especially as Eliza grows up," she then said.

Turning over to press against his wife's back, Castle suppressed a smile though the room was dark by then, wondering if she knew she'd taken a while to say that. He raised his head slightly and kissed her tenderly before he said, "I'm looking forward to that." He then kissed her ear and whispered into it, "Night Kate."

"Goodnight Rick," Beckett said with a smile. She reached up and squeezed his hand on her arm before closing her eyes. Her exhaustion was quick to catch up to her from the night before and that day so she was soon asleep, her body relaxing in front of her husband as soon as she had nodded off.

Castle watched her for a moment and then leaned down, pressing a kiss to her shoulder as a way of telling her he loved her without waking her up. He then laid back and let sleep come over him gradually as he kept himself aware of her close to him the warmth of their bodies together soothing him greatly.


	10. Where The Truth Lies Waiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song (I Want to) Come Home by Paul McCartney, a single that he wrote for the film Everybody's Fine.

"Rick," Beckett whispered. When he wrinkled his nose she whispered his name again, brushing her lips to his a few times before he turned onto his back. She was quick to follow him and she laid half on top of him, kissing him a little harder.

That was enough to wake Castle up and before he opened his eyes he managed to kiss her back. When his wife was pulling away from him, he smiled and said, "Morning."

"Are you up?" Beckett asked in a rush.

"Yes… what time is it?" Castle asked, trailing off then as he realized that it was barely light outside. He never got an answer, as his wife was suddenly sitting up, taking his attention. And when she started pulling off her pajama top he forgot what he'd said in the first place as he was quick to join her, sitting up and taking off his own shirt. He gathered her in his arms, kissing her roughly before flipping her around onto her back.

Wrapping her right leg around him, Beckett raised her hips, rubbing herself against his erection that she'd been able to feel when she'd woken up and she moaned softly against his lips. He moved down to her neck then and she arched it, stroking the back of his head as he sucked lightly on her pulse. "You're taking too long," she said, smiling as she made him move away from her by pressing on his shoulders.

"You… oh, alright," Castle said, about to protest that he wasn't when he quickly discerned that she was joking. He moved back enough to take off her pajama pants and panties off together and said, "Better?"

Giving him a look, Beckett helped him with the rest of his clothes, kissing him as they were doing that hungrily. She lay back down once they were finally both naked and she let him spread her legs, wanting to feel him doing that. As soon as he was lying on top of her she initiated another kiss, running her fingers through his hair, scraping at his scalp as he shuddered against her. " _Make love to me_ ," she whispered against his lips as they stayed close together.

" _Anything you want_ ," Castle said before he moved to slide within her. He kissed the corner of her lips, breathing heavily from the pleasure of that simple movement, and the fact that he found out that she was ready for him added to that greatly. He paused, more to make sure of what she wanted, and then proceeded to thrust once she had done so. He went slowly, carefully within her, watching her closely to see her pleasure which she began to express as soon as he'd begun. After a moment, he leaned down, brushing his lips against her collarbone before she was nearly hauling him back up to her lips, crushing them together roughly. When they had in due course parted he murmured against her lips, "You just wanted to start…"

"You know we don't need to… to…" Beckett breathed out heavily in pleasure as she'd wrapped her legs around his waist. "We don't always have to work up to it or… oh god… Rick… _there_."

Since he'd changed the angle of his hips as she'd spoke, Castle was going through the same as what her tone of voice was conveying she was. He kissed her neck and then went up to her ear, nibbling at the lobe gently before he whispered, "Or delay things?" He felt her nod at that, but it was an erratic one, and he then told her, "You dreamt about us didn't you… love?"

In response to that Beckett kissed him, but only a chaste kiss on the lips before she told him, "You were amazing then too."

"And this… will make me amazing now?" Castle said as he reached underneath her hips to tilt them up towards him. When his wife cried out in response to his first thrust into her he was hearing it just slightly over the roaring of his racing heartbeat in his ears. He moved to kiss her and he made it sensuous, feeling her respond to him as he slipped his tongue past her lips. They dueled together a little at first before calming down and slowly stroking against one another.

"You're… trying to outdo you in my dreams?" Beckett asked when they parted and she had cupped his cheeks.

"Not trying, I know I can," Castle told her simply. He leaned down slightly and began to brush his lips over her breasts, feeling her hands clasp on the back of his head a little tightly. He grunted in pleasure at the sensation and finally moved to take her right nipple with his mouth.

Closing her eyes tightly and arching her back as his suckling at her made a jolt of bliss rush through her entirely, Beckett tried to match his pace; a little difficult as she had to try and contend with everything her body was being put through. She managed to get herself back in control as Castle pulled back slightly but the next second he was lightly blowing on her moist skin and she was back to fighting with her own body. Stroking from his hair down to his back, she leaned down as he went over her other breast, trying to press her lips to the top of his head. She managed to reach it before he was tilting his head up to take her lips with his. Their kiss was a little wild at first but soon they calmed down slowly, though they never stopped their fight with their tongues; enjoying it too much.

Parting after that kiss, Castle pressed his forehead to his wife's and said, "I know what you'd… say."

"About what," Beckett murmured, wanting to speak through the pleasure she was experiencing to feel his lips brush against hers again.

"Who's better," Castle said simply before he moved down to her neck again. He kissed her skin, warm and slightly moist from their exertions, and he went to each side, feeling her pulse beating roughly against his lips. He couldn't help it, biting down on it on the right side of her neck and proceeding to suck at it. He groaned as Beckett jerked her hips up against him and he thrust against her a little rougher than he'd intended to. He quickly got himself back to the rhythm he'd been at before and breathed out before going back to her neck. While he soon moved away to kiss his way back across, flicking out the tip of his tongue that time, he concentrated on her more, wanting to feel her. She was tight around him and wet with her arousal, making him have to stop focusing on her lest he get off too quickly.

Since Castle had started to move around her upper body then Beckett quickly discerned that he was trying to create a distraction and she made him move up to her so they could kiss. She gave him his diversion for a moment with that but it was only temporary as they were parting quickly to breathe and to let out their groans of pleasure. "Kate…" he mumbled, their breath mixing between them.

"Please… come with me," Beckett begged him, stroking the backs of his shoulders. "I can… feel you." She bit her lower lip then as she felt him drawing her right leg up under his arm and his next thrust was deep, making her cry out as she threw her head back. Her orgasm was a little rough, as she was used to their slower movements, so it was a shock to her that made her feel as if a wave of ecstasy was rebuilding itself through her entire body. She held onto her husband tightly when she felt him joining her quickly, hearing him groaning her name as he pressed his face into her neck. She became slightly out of touch with herself as she concentrated on the sensation of them drawing their climaxes out for as long as they could out of each other but finally she felt herself slow down before stopping completely. She kept her arms around him as he thrust for a little longer but then slumped on top of her, both of them breathing roughly in the aftermath.

When he felt he could move Castle raised his head slightly, kissing his wife as slowly and sensuously as possible; not really thinking of how he was going to, just doing that easily. When he pulled back he looked into her eyes and said, "You're very rough Ms. Beckett."

"Yeah, I don't see you complaining about that," Beckett said, rolling her eyes though she couldn't deny that she felt a short thrill go through her at his tone as he spoke that.

Castle kissed her again before he moved away from her, lying back on his side of the bed as she pressed against him. "How early did you wake me up?" he asked, looking over at the windows.

"Early, I woke up from that dream," Beckett said. "So of course I couldn't control myself."

"I don't have a problem with that," Castle said. They were both silent then before he frowned and told her, "This doesn't seem right."

"No, I agree. I don't see how exactly Fern could have done it," Beckett replied; since she'd known he'd been talking about the case. "But unless we can provide him with an alibi…"

"We'll be able to find something," Castle said then. "Someone around the restaurant had to see him; he was in the middle of downtown."

"I just hope Brad gets started on canvassing early," Beckett replied. She sighed then as their alarm went off and she got up, leaning over her husband to turn it off. "Okay, so we need to get the girls ready," she said as she slipped out of the bed though he was trying to keep her with him. "And then head straight to the station as soon as we get home."

"Alright, I'll get up," Castle said with a sigh as he sat up and pretended to grumble under his breath as she pulled the covers off him. "But you owe me."

"For what? I think you owe me," Beckett said simply as she went into the closet.

"Come on, I fulfilled your dream, slaked your desire," Castle said, following her. When she paused and looked at him he asked, "Don't say that again?"

"Please," Beckett said, shaking her head. She went back out with her clothes and got ready, not waiting for her husband as she washed up and then dressed. She was going to pull her hair up into a ponytail when she paused and then went over to the windows, looking out.

"It's a little warmer than yesterday," Castle said, looking at his phone since he was dressed by then. "Slightly though."

Beckett finally decided to leave her hair down and she walked out with him to Julia's room, seeing Martha's door was closed. "She came home," she murmured.

"I know, I thought she was going to stay over too," Castle replied before he followed her into their oldest's room.

"Julia," Beckett said softly as she sat down next to the still sleeping girl. She smiled as her daughter wrinkled her nose a little before turning over, away from her. "Hey, time to wake up, you've got school today," she said, shaking her shoulder gently before she kissed her temple which finally got Julia to open her eyes and turn to them.

"Want me to get Eliza ready?" Castle asked his wife.

"Go ahead," Beckett said as she ran her hand over the back of their daughter's hair.

Walking into the next room, Castle wasn't surprised to see that Eliza was still sleeping and he took off the net along the edge of the bed before sitting down. He had just barely run his hand over her forehead when she was opening her eyes to look at him. "Hey, morning sweetheart," he told her as she looked angry for a brief second in trying to wake up. "Sleep well?"

"No monsters," Eliza replied with a little smile. "Mommy?"

"She's helping your sister," Castle said. "So I offered to get you up to help her."

"Kay," Eliza said before she sat up. She watched as Castle grabbed her things and she kicked her legs saying, "Do you go?"

"We need to," Beckett said, in the doorway then. "Julia told me say good morning to her little sister."

"She still needs you though," Castle said, unable to help remember the night before.

"Oh I know, but she just wanted to make sure I saw Eliza," Beckett said, a small smile on her face before she went over to the toddler who'd stood up on her bed seeing her. "Morning sweetie, how are you?" she asked, picking her up and hugging her tightly.

"Good, Mommy I wanna go," Eliza said.

"To work with us?" Castle asked after he and his wife had exchanged a look.

"You can't Eliza, you need to stay here and do your schoolwork with your gram," Beckett said after the toddler had nodded her head.

"Why Mommy?" Eliza asked.

"Because you need to be grown up to go to work with the police," Castle said quickly as he came over to the bed. "Am I continuing or are you taking over?" he then asked his wife

"Can you do Julia's hair too?" Beckett asked.

"Sure," Castle said.

"Then I'll get breakfast today," Beckett replied simply. She turned to Eliza and kissed her saying, "Let your daddy get you dressed."

"Kay," Eliza said, smiling at her mother widely.

Before she could turn to go, Castle took Beckett's hand and kissed her gently on the lips, intending to just do that before she went downstairs. But he was a little startled when all of a sudden she was wrapping her arms around him tightly, kissing him deeply. He responded for the short period of time they did that; knowing she hadn't forgotten their youngest. When they parted he looked into her eyes and murmured, " _Can't let go of the other night can you_?"

Glancing at Eliza who was watching them; though still smiling; Beckett said simply, " _There are a lot of nights I can't forget_ ," before she let him go. " _And more to come_."

Sucking in a deep breath at his wife's tone and her words combined, Castle turned to Eliza and said, "Okay, now I can get you ready."

Julia, having finished making her bed, hurried down the hall to her sister's room, surprised to see Eliza sitting alone in the middle of her bed with her hairbrush. "Where's Mommy?" she asked, leaning against the side before taking the brush from her hands.

"Brush Jules!" Eliza cried then, turning around and scooting back on her knees to the edge of the bed.

"Careful she doesn't fall," Castle said, coming out of the bathroom.

"Mommy's cooking?" Julia asked, brushing her sister's dark brown hair carefully.

"She is and since I'm doing your hair, what would you like?" Castle asked, sitting next to Eliza.

"A French braid again?" Julia asked.

"Once you're finished with your sister," Castle said, watching the two with a smile.

"Daddy, can I see Alexis?" Eliza then asked slowly.

"She had a dinner last night for one of her classes, remember? The professor is retiring and they had a party for him," Castle said. "We'll talk to her tonight."

"My coat?" Eliza said.

"She wants to tell Alexis about her new coat," Julia translated for their dad in case he didn't understand.

"You can, you can do a little modeling show if you want," Castle said as he waited for Julia to climb up next to him since Eliza was finished. "Then you'll really look like your mom."

"Why Daddy?" Eliza asked, crawling over to him on the bed.

"Because she was a model," Julia reminded her. "You saw the pictures."

"Yeah," Eliza said, smiling. "Me and Mommy?" she asked then.

"You look just like one another," Castle said. "And your sister and your mom look a lot alike too."

"But I have green eyes," Julia said in a matter of fact tone.

"You do and very pretty green eyes," Castle said, a little uneasy at that. With them always afraid Julia was going to regain her memory, they had a feeling that it would be her eyes; the only green ones in their family; that would help her remember. "But we should get back to today," he said quickly to change the subject. "Do you have everything you need for school?"

"I do," Julia said as her father began the braid. "Oooh, I wish it was tomorrow already. We haven't seen Alexis since Thanksgiving."

"A long time," Eliza piped up then.

"It is but don't forget she'll be here for a month for winter break," Castle said. "Hold still you two," he told the girls with a laugh as they were bouncing in response to that.

"Sorry," Julia said with a giggle, grabbing her sister to stop her. "Aren't you excited Daddy?"

"Very but I need to finish this braid so we can go down to breakfast," Castle replied, managing to do that as he'd spoke. He put a band around the bottom of it and then took Eliza saying, "Hope you two are hungry."

"Gram?" the toddler asked as they stepped out into the hall, looking over at her room.

"She's probably still asleep," Castle said, pulling Julia by the hand toward the stairs. "Let her, I bet she stayed up late last night."

"Mommy, see my hair?" Julia asked once they'd gotten downstairs and she could see her mother in the kitchen, rushing to her. She turned and smiled when she felt Beckett kiss the top of her head before she turned back and shared a kiss with her. "Is it ready?"

"Almost, I put the bowls and spoons on the table for you," Beckett told her.

"My mom's still asleep, so we won't need this one yet," Castle said as he set one of the bowls and spoons on the island. "How's it going?"

"Really?" Beckett asked in amusement. "For oatmeal?"

"Just checking to see," Castle said before he went over to get milk for the girls. "Anything?"

"No, you?" Beckett asked. When he shook his head she nodded once, not surprised though she'd been hoping by then the chief had found something to either completely close the case or let them know they were needed to continue investigating it. She turned her attention back to the pot on the stove, and since it had finished while she'd been thinking she hurriedly turned off the burner and carried it to the table.

"Okay, here's your coffee love," Castle said, setting the mug at her place at the table.

"A snowman!" Julia cried seeing the design on the foam. "Can I take a picture?"

"Go ahead," Beckett replied, handing her her phone. She turned to her husband then and kissed him briefly before pulling away. "Not bad today."

"The cupcakes inspired me," Castle said, smiling as his wife did so in response to him.

"I hope Martha is up by the time we bring Eliza back," Beckett said then as her husband was ladling out the oatmeal for them.

"I'm sure she will be," Castle said absently as he got his bowl then and sat down. "These two were pretty excited earlier," he said to his wife as he watched her stir a little brown sugar into Eliza's bowl.

"For Alexis? I'm not that surprised," Beckett said. "I'm sure she's just as excited too."

"Aren't you excited?" Julia asked.

"For what?" Castle said.

"Your date!" Julia said in slight exasperation. "You're going to dinner still aren't you?"

"We are but it's not really a date," Beckett replied. "We're long past going on those."

"Then your dinner," Julia replied.

"Yeah, we're excited about that," Castle said, looking at his wife as he spoke.

"I am too," Beckett said with a smile at him. She squeezed his hand on the top of the table before saying, "You're not worried about us are you?"

"A little," Julia confessed. "But I know Mommy, you're happy with Daddy. And you're happy with Mommy," she said to Castle last.

"Mommy?" Eliza said as they went back to eating after Beckett and then Castle had nodded in agreement to what her big sister had said.

"Yes sweetie?" Beckett asked, looking over at her.

"Go to school?" Eliza said.

"Not yet," Castle replied before his wife put her hand on his arm.

"I think she means she wants to go," Beckett reminded him. "Soon," she then directed to the toddler. "You want to go right?" she asked, glancing at Castle as their youngest had been a little unsure about pre-school after they'd told her about it.

"You should," Julia said reassuringly, leaning over the table to look at her sister before her mother made her lean back to sit up straight. "We'll see each other at recess," she said.

"You have the same recess?" Castle said, not remembering hearing about that.

"They will," Beckett said. "But I don't know if you can see your sister," she said warningly.

"Can you ask?" Julia said, looking at her little sister to see she was frowning.

"We will," Castle said before he leaned over and kissed the side of Eliza's head as he'd seen her expression too.

"Can she come with me to dance class after school?" Julia asked hopefully.

"She's going to be staying only until before lunch," Castle said. "And then we'll pick her up and come home."

"What if you're working on a case?" Julia pointed out.

"Someone will, don't worry," Beckett told her. "Keep eating, we're going to be late." She watched Julia to make sure she did and when she had she said to her husband as she'd suddenly remembered, "You know we forgot an RSVP."

"We did? Which one?" Castle said.

"To Brett and Shannon's lunch," Beckett replied.

"Oh, well… wasn't that the one invitation we were a little hesitant about?" Castle asked her.

"We were, we're going to be going to a lot more parties now," Beckett said. "And this one is on the same day as Rebecca and David's party," she reminded him.

"Then I think you and I know how we should reply to that," Castle said.

"I'll get to it later today," Beckett said before she glanced past him and smiled.

"Not with your fingers," Castle said, turning and seeing that Eliza was trying to pick up the oatmeal in her bowl. Since she was sitting on the other side of him, he grabbed her hand and held it as he got some oatmeal on her spoon. "Try it like that," he told her.

"What are you going to be doing in dance class today?" Beckett asked their oldest after they were quiet for a few minutes.

Going back to the beginning of her class the day before, Julia then recalled and said, "I think we're going to stay with the Quickstep again, but then after we take a break we'll work on the Samba."

"Then you must be excited," Castle said, laughing with his wife when their oldest nodded exuberantly.

"Oh I am! Even though we're not doing Samba rolls, I still can't wait," Julia said earnestly. "I love the Samba a lot."

"As much as the Jive?" Beckett asked.

"Almost as much as it," Julia said.

"Think you'll dance it at your next competition?" Castle enquired.

"I don't know, we need to be picked for the competition," Julia said. "And that means Peter and I have to be the best at all the dances."

"Well, if he's as excited about the Samba as you, then you'll be dancing again for us," Castle said.

"Dance now Jules?" Eliza asked.

"Not yet, but I hope soon," Julia told her sister. She then began to talk about the Samba moves and the ones she liked in particular; comparing it to the Jive; pleased when her parents and Eliza all listened attentively. When she finally made herself stop they were cleaning up from breakfast and she said with a small laugh, "I love to dance."

"We're happy that you do," Beckett said, kissing her forehead. "And we don't mind hearing you talk about it," she added since Julia had sounded a little apologetic.

"But now we should get going," Castle said, checking his watch after he'd washed the dishes. "Get your backpack."

Following their daughters, Castle and Beckett helped them put on their outer layers for the walk before getting their own. They paused to listen and see if Martha was up but when they didn't hear any kind of movement; they decided to go before they made Julia late.

"Good morning," Rebecca said, coming out with Mari on her own when the family was in front of their home. "David was called into his campaign headquarters. The local media wanted to interview him and they're doing it early to make it to the five o'clock news."

"Does he know you're coming out here alone?" Beckett asked her friend teasingly.

"He's aware," Rebecca said. "He doesn't like it, but what's new? By the way," she said as they'd started to walk. "I have to say thank you for last night."

"You said that already," Beckett reminded her as they were walking behind the three girls.

"I know, but I wanted to say it again," Rebecca replied. "David needed it."

"He's stressed out?" Castle asked.

"Yeah, he got news that he and Hopkins are even last night," Rebecca told them. "But I said that's great as he was a few points below. When it comes to the election, I'm sure those people who they don't ask for the polls are going to vote for him. So dinner alone was a blessing as we got back to something more important; us. Well, us and this one who decided to play a short soccer game towards the end of it."

Smiling at that, Beckett said, "I hope he'll be okay being mayor."

"It's not an easy job," Castle said.

"You two are thinking of the city," Rebecca told them. "The Hamptons is much smaller, but still I told him it won't be easy. He wants to follow in his grandfather's footsteps even though he knows that."

"He will," Beckett said before they reached the school.

"I can walk back with you right?" Rebecca asked as they headed into the elementary school building.

"I think David would kill us; me especially; if we didn't make sure you got home alright," Castle said.

"Why you?" Rebecca asked, looking confused; as was Beckett.

"Like I'd let him touch a hair on Kate's head," Castle said jokingly.

"We'll meet you here at the doors," Beckett said, shaking her head as her friend rolled her eyes. After Julia and Eliza had said goodbye to Mari she and Castle took them upstairs to the fourth grade rooms. "Alright, have a wonderful day, we'll try and come to your class again but we don't know how work will go yet," she said, hugging Julia after Eliza had done so.

"I know, but I hope you have a good day," Julia said after she shared a kiss with her mother, her code for telling her parents to be safe; not wanting to scare her little sister.

"We will," Castle said, hugging and kissing the little girl. He watched with Beckett and Eliza as she rushed into her classroom and he turned to them saying, "Time to head out," clapping his hands together before scooping up the toddler in his arms.

Going downstairs ahead of them, Beckett saw that Rebecca was waiting at the doors, watching some last minute kids coming inside before the bell rang. She took her friend's arm as they left the building and was about to speak when she felt her phone shake in her pocket.

"Is it Brad?" Castle asked, walking with the two, Eliza still in his arms.

"It is," Beckett replied as she read the text. "They haven't found anything, so he's hoping we'll come in."

"Do you want me to watch Eliza for you?" Rebecca asked, thinking Martha wasn't at the house.

"No, my mom's home, she just wasn't awake before we left," Castle explained.

"Sounds like we all had a good night," Rebecca said as they continued on.

"Take care of yourself," Beckett said once they'd reached the Foster home and her friend was inside.

"Same with you, good luck," Rebecca replied.

Smiling at that, Beckett nodded before she hurried up the path to the sidewalk where Castle was waiting. She took their youngest from him and said, "She said it again."

"Maybe it's like what Julia says," he suggested as they walked swiftly home.

"Probably," Beckett said. Inside the house she saw that Martha was in the kitchen and she called to her mother in law saying, "We need to go now."

"Go, I'll help Eliza with her things," Castle's mother said, stopping her son from unbuttoning her coat. "We'll see you later."

"Bye sweetie, I love you," Beckett said, kissing her cheek.

"So do I, love you a ton," Castle said, kissing Eliza's other cheek. "Bye," he called as he and Beckett went to the garage. He let her drive then, surprised when at a stop sign she didn't move. "What?" he asked, seeing she was looking at her phone.

"He's got something," Beckett said simply. "He doesn't say what, but it must be big."

"Ah, exclamation points," Castle said as she took off for the station.

"Great, you two are here," Brad said, waiting in the lobby again. "We got a call from Kirby who I sent to the jail to look at Fern's things they took off him there. That included his phone, with a GPS tracking app for himself."

"Any idea why he had that?" Beckett asked.

"No clue, but we looked at what was recorded the morning of the murder and we found that he turned it off right before Antonio was killed," the chief said.

"And you're taking that as definitive proof he's the murderer?" Beckett replied.

"It's making him more likely," Brad said. "However last night I thought over what you said and you're right, all of this is too easy. Why would he keep this app if he was intending to murder our vic and not just delete it before going? I think what we need to do is go over downtown with a fine tooth comb. And that includes you both."

"Great, I'm ready," Castle said, Beckett nodding in agreement with him.

"Alright, I'm taking Hutchinson and Bernier with us, the others will stay behind and keep an eye on things for us," Brad said. "We're dividing it up into sections, this is what you two have; from 2nd Avenue to Roanoke Street, then from Greater Boulevard to West York Way. Take as long as you need to and if you get anything at all, call me."

"We're on our way," Beckett said before she and Castle left.

"Should we split up?" he asked as he was driving to their area.

"You think someone would talk to you?" Beckett asked, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, I can sound authoritative if I need to," Castle replied in protest. He then said, "Alright we'll go together but where do you want to start first?"

"Go to 2nd Avenue and we'll work our way west to east," Beckett said. "So park as close to the restaurant as you can."

"I'm surprised he gave us that," Castle said. "Unless he's remembering the information we got yesterday."

"Most likely," Beckett said as he parked. "So the waiter they talked to yesterday said that Fern walked west from here."

"Do you want to track him by trying every place in that direction?" Castle asked.

"We should," Beckett said with a nod, going to the first place next to the restaurant. Inside the boutique, she went back to the register and said, "Hello, my name is-"

"Ms. Beckett, Mr. Castle, are you here for something specific?" the woman there asked.

"Actually no," Beckett replied, nudging Castle in the side as he was looking over at the lingerie in the corner to their right. "Are you the manager?"

"Oh yes, I'm Chloe Boynton, this is my store… how can I help you?" the woman asked, looking a little uneasy.

"You know we assist the Hamptons PD right?" Castle asked. At the manager's nod he said, "Then we need to ask you; if you'll tell us; if you saw this man at all three days ago around eleven or twelve?"

Looking at the picture of Fern that Beckett put on the counter, Boynton shook her head saying, "No, I'm sorry… isn't that Alan Fern? Didn't he commit suicide-"

"Thank you for your help," Beckett said quickly before she led the way out. "I get a feeling we might have… hold on," she said then in frustration before going back in.

Castle followed her to the door, watching as she asked the manager if there was a security camera outside.

"No, but some of the places here along the street have them," Boynton replied.

"Thanks again," Beckett said before she went back to her husband. "We'll have to remember to ask that at the next place. If they have a camera-"

"We'll be able to see where Fern was heading if not that place," Castle said as they went to the next one, which was a pet store. "We're going to need to come here."

"Later," Beckett said quickly. She spoke with the manager and the employees, one of whom had seen Fern continuing to walk west.

Going to the other places on that side of the street, Castle and Beckett heard the same and saw the same; that Fern walked in the same direction but never stopped. When they reached the end of their area they stopped on the corner and looked at the other side.

"I don't know Castle," Beckett said with a sigh of impatience. " _If no one saw him cross the street_ ," switching to Irish as some people were walking around them.

" _Well, you never know, people walk in front of their stores all the time_ ," Castle commented.

Looking at him in confusion Beckett said, " _Yes, they do. Do you think he walked off our area_?" When he didn't reply she was about to ask him what he was talking about when she realized that he wasn't looking at her, instead over her shoulder. She turned and saw the corner place was a florist shop, making her turn back to him saying, "Flowers?"

" _Think about it_ ," Castle said as they started to cross the street. " _He was obviously mentally disturbed; considering he took his own life; and he might have tried to get back with his wife. Maybe he was trying to get her flowers; a gesture that he thought might make her want to be with him again. And I know she was pregnant with her lover's child but again, he was going through a lot mentally_."

Stopping outside the shop, Beckett said, " _What if he was getting flowers for his girlfriend_?"

" _Or he could have been doing that_ ," Castle said. " _In the end, what matters is us finding an alibi for him_." When she started to turn to the door he said, "Why don't you let me handle things in there?"

"Why?" Beckett asked as she waited for him to walk up to her.

"They know me here," Castle said pointedly.

Beckett had to concede the point; since she knew her husband had gotten flowers every once in a while for her from the shop; so she went inside after him, watching him walk straight to the register.

"Ramona, it's so great to see you," Castle said to the owner, Ramona Gibbs.

"Hello Mr. Castle, are you here to pick up some flowers for your wife," the woman said, smiling at them.

"We're here for the police," Castle replied. "We need to know if you saw this man three days ago, at about eleven or twelve?"

"Oh, of course, Mr. Fern," Gibbs said as she studied the picture he'd placed in front of her. "He was a strange customer."

"In what way?" Beckett asked interestedly.

"Well, for the longest time he went back and forth outside, seeming to be in deep thought," Gibbs replied. "So I guess he must have been deciding something. And then when he came in the shop he walked around for a long time, looking at every last flower. So much so I was almost afraid he was going to try and eat them."

"Did he buy anything in the end?" Castle asked.

"No, he actually just stalked out after throwing some white lilies on the floor," Gibbs replied. "I was tempted to call the police but I didn't really have much to accuse him of."

"Do you have a security camera?" Beckett then inquired.

"Oh yes in here and outside, why?" Gibbs said.

"Do you mind if we look through them both to see him?" Castle said.

* * *

"That's him," Brad said with a sigh, watching the footage on his screen and the time. "So he's not our killer. But why would he confess to a murder that he didn't do?"

"I told Beckett it was because he was mentally unstable," Castle said. "I think everything with the baby made him have a breakdown. In his mind he believed he killed Antonio, but why he felt remorse… you'd have to speak to a psychologist to figure that out."

"You're probably right," the chief said. "So now we're at square one and we've exhausted all possible leads. Unless you two have something to suggest?" he asked them hopefully.

Sharing a look with her husband Beckett said, "I'm sorry we don't, we're as clueless as you are." When Brad groaned in annoyance she quickly said, "But we've found when we're having trouble investigating a case that sometimes going over it from the start helps."

"You have to do that often?" Brad asked.

"A lot more than you'd think," Castle said. "Why don't I make us some coffee and we'll go back to the beginning; to the crime scene." When the two nodded he went to the break room and started up the machine before he felt someone was next to him. "You couldn't wait?" he asked his wife.

"No," Beckett replied. "I want to clear something up. When you say go back to the crime scene-"

"In pictures," Castle quickly told her. "Don't worry, I don't really want to go anywhere near Susannah again."

"Good, because I wouldn't be going if you-" Beckett started to say before her phone rang. "It's Ryan," she said in slight surprise. She exchanged a slightly anxious look with her husband before answering the phone saying, "Is it Tyson?" as her greeting.

"No, I talked with Diaz up in Robbery just now," Ryan said. "He has a case that you need to know about."

"Is it related to our current case?" Castle asked as the phone was on speaker.

"A lawyer's office here in the city, on the West side, was broken into last night," Ryan said instead of answering. "He says only one file was taken; and it was the copy of an addendum to a will."

"Who was the client?" Beckett asked.

"Antonio De Soto," Ryan replied.

"Does the lawyer know at all what the addendum said?" Castle asked as he and his wife looked at each other in their surprise.

"I got a copy of the lawyer's statement and I'm sending it to you," Ryan replied.

"You have to go?" Castle said.

"Yeah, we've got a new case," Ryan told them in a rush. "If you need to talk to Diaz call me."

"Thanks Ryan," Beckett said before she went out to their desk; Castle following her. She opened her inbox, seeing their former partner's e-mail and she began to read it.

"Brad," Castle yelled to the chief who was in his office.

"You have something?" the man said, running out to them. When the two merely moved away from the desk, he sat where Beckett had been, and read the e-mail on the screen. "What the hell," he muttered. "We need to find him, now."

"How do you want to handle this?" Castle asked.

"Hutchinson," Brad said, standing up. "Call the Harper Ranch and see if Castillo Gaspara is there."

"And us?" Castle said.

"You're coming with me to his apartment," Brad said simply, going to his desk.

Taking the weapon that he handed her, Beckett holstered it and looked at Castle as they left, going out to the parking lot.

* * *

"Castillo Gaspara, this is the Hamptons police," Brad was saying at the door to the man's apartment. "Open the door!"

Watching the two men while she had her hand close to her weapon, Beckett watched as Officer Enos kicked the door open and the two went inside. She wasn't surprised to hear the all clear from both men and she and Castle went inside quickly. "What?" Beckett asked as she saw the two were at the table off the kitchen staring at something.

"I think we found out how he established his alibi," Castle commented as there was a telephone with a two way speaker on the table. He turned around and stepped just past the doorway, looking up. "There's a camera here," he told the others inside.

"So he planned this for a while," Beckett replied.

"When was that robbery though?" Brad said.

"I think his brother might have told him what he was going to do and he found about the other lawyer and the copy of the addendum. So he must have been planning the robbery since the murder," Beckett said. "Are you calling CSU?" she asked as he got out his phone.

"Enos?" the chief asked as his phone began to ring. When the officer nodded he answered and said, "Hutchinson? Yeah… okay, I expected that."

"He wasn't there either?" Beckett asked when he'd hung up.

"No and he hasn't been there at work since yesterday," Brad replied. "Ms. Harper told me he's fired."

"We'll have to tell him when we find him," Castle said in an aside to his wife.

"Alright, put out an APB for Gaspara, add that he's considered armed and dangerous," Brad said quickly. "Call the city airports and Newark, get his picture out, he might be trying to get back to Argentina."

After the chief had hung up Beckett asked, "This explains why the FBI in Buenos Aires had nothing on his sister."

"He was playing us this entire time," Brad said with a frown.

"But how did he find out where that addendum was exactly?" Castle then said.

"De Soto's place," the three of them said at the same time.

"Enos," Brad said before the officer came inside from guarding the door. "We're heading to the vic's apartment; we might need a second CSU team out there."

"I'll contact you if they find anything here," the officer said.

After leaving the apartment, Castle, Beckett and the chief headed out to De Soto's apartment building. At the door to 3F, she and Brad stood on either side of the door while Castle waited behind his wife.

The chief entering first after opening the door, he lowered his gun and said, "Yeah he was here," he told the two to let them know they could enter.

"No one's here… oh," Castle said as he followed Beckett and saw that there was only one room.

"Gaspara definitely was here," Beckett added as she went through the items tossed to the floor and over to the desk where she saw a drawer on the floor. "Here," she said, picking up a card and showing it to the chief.

"I wonder why he got a second lawyer?" Castle asked since the name on the card was not the name of the lawyer they had on record.

"This one in the city must have had the ability to write that addendum, make it legal," Beckett mused for a moment.

Castle looked over at his wife before he said, "That's not the explanation is it?"

"No, what I'm thinking is it's more than likely that he went with this lawyer because he didn't want his brother to find out what he was doing," Beckett replied.

"Alright, CSU is coming here as well," Brad said. "We'll wait for them but after this we need to go back to the station and look back into Gaspara."

"Did you check the name Castillo Montez?" Castle and Beckett said at the same time.

Looking at them, Brad shook his head and then groaned saying, "That's why his father's name sounded so familiar. The drugs."

Sharing a look with her husband, Beckett said, "The drugs?"

"We were able to get a name from a buyer of the dealer here," the chief said. "He told us it was a Montez Salazar but what threw me off was the fact it was the dealer's first name and there are a couple of Montez's in the area."

"Did you see the name Salazar anywhere in his information?" Castle asked.

"Yeah, a half brother his mom had after him," Brad replied. "His first name."

"It'd be hard to locate him taking names from both sides of his family," Beckett replied. She paused for a moment and then said, "Does he have any other siblings?"

"I believe another sister, Marta Leon," Brad said. "You think he's taken from there?"

"More than likely," Castle said. "You need to search that first name Leon for any kind of property."

"Public storage, abandoned buildings, anything like that," Beckett added.

"So that looks like it'll solve our cocaine problems," the chief said. "Thank you for that, but now we need to focus on getting Gaspara." The CSU team had arrived as Brad had spoken; as had Kirby who the chief had contacted; and leaving the apartment to them he went back to his cruiser with Castle and Beckett. "I think-" he started to say as he was heading to the station. Before he could continue, the radio in the car crackled with static, and dispatch began to speak.

"Reported break in and kidnapping at 730 Gordon Lane," the woman said. "All units available report."

"This is Chief Davis," Brad said quickly. "Heading to the Seymour residence. Any report of the suspect."

"Negative Chief, the owner of the house was unaware of who the perpetrator was," dispatch said. "There are possible injuries, EMTs have been contacted."

"10-4," Brad said. "He must have just gotten back."

"At least there's not a report of a murder," Castle pointed out. But even with that the cruiser was tense until they reached Mrs. Seymour's home, and he followed Brad and his wife up to the front door that was wide open.

"Alison, Nesta?" the chief said as he and Beckett were scanning the rooms they were passing.

"Here, we're in here!" the older Seymour woman called. "Please Chief, my daughter's been hurt."

Running into the kitchen, Beckett saw that Nesta Seymour was on the floor, unconcious as her mother was cradling her in her arms. "Where's Christopher?" she asked quickly as she and the chief knelt next to them.

"He came and took him, I don't know who he was but he knew Nesta," Mrs. Seymour said, tears running down her cheeks. "He looked like the baby's father."

"Did you see where he went?" Brad asked then.

"No, he hit me too and I only just woke up," Mrs. Seymour replied. "You have to find him; Christopher was not dressed for the outdoors."

Not wanting to tell the woman that there was more danger to the baby than exposure, Castle noticed some movement out of the corner of his eye and he turned to the family room windows. He rushed over to them and flung open the door out to the backyard, comprehending what he was looking at. "Beckett, Chief," he yelled to them.

"Christopher…" Nesta was moaning as she came out of unconsciousness then, keeping the two there in the kitchen. "He took Christopher… Where is he?"

"Guys, you need to come here now," Castle said as urgently as he could manage.

Beckett jogged over to him and when she saw his gaze was outside, she froze for a moment before she and Castle took off outside.

"Guys," the chief said when he noticed them going. He ran after them and was able to see what had made them go up the incline of the backyard to the shared common.

Gaspara was at the pond in the middle of the common when they had reached the top of the small hill, walking into it while the shrill cries of the baby in his arms rent the air as he cut through the freezing cold water.


	11. Moment That I Lose My Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Sat Singing by George Harrison, from his album Somewhere in England.

Almost as one, Castle, Beckett and Brad turned from the water and ran towards the shed to their left, the chief shooting off the lock on the door before he called backup as the other two were getting a boat out from inside.

"You're going to need to stay Castle," Brad said in a whisper as they all looked at Gaspara, who hadn't reacted to the gunshot.

"I knew already," Castle replied as they made it down to the water and his friend and wife went in. "Be careful not to tip."

"We know; how deep is this pond?" Beckett asked the chief as she was taking the oars from her husband.

"About eight feet in the middle," Brad replied grimly as he started to row over to the man. He went slowly before pausing as he heard sirens in the distance and he turned to see Hutchinson and Bernier soon running up to them, along with a news van.

"Go, he's got his nephew," Castle said to the officers before he went to the news crew that was coming up to him. He managed to stop them before Kirby appeared and took over handling the media. That done, he ran back to the shore, watching as the chief was starting to row yet again.

"He's got him in the water," Beckett said in a low voice, clenching her jaw as she could see the green flannel onesie the baby was wearing was turning dark with the water soaking into it.

"Alright, I don't have time to plan this more than I have just now," Brad said, bringing the oars in, whispering and turning his head back to Beckett. "More EMTs are here," he said, looking back at the shore and seeing the two there. "So we just need to get him out of Gaspara's arms."

"I can take him, you'll be able to row faster than I will," Beckett said, taking off her grey coat and putting it at the back of the boat but within easy reach. "I'll keep him warm, just watch he doesn't let go before I can get him."

Taking hold of one oar, Brad turned then so the left side of the boat was at Gaspara's back and he looked at Beckett who nodded quickly. Turning back to the man he took the oar in both hands and leaned over after using his hand in the water to bring them closer.

* * *

Martha, coming downstairs after getting the dress that she was making for Julia to work on, walked into the family room saying, "What do we owe the pleasure of for this visit?" to Lily Davis who'd arrived before she'd gone to her room.

"Just a quick visit, I thought Brad said he was finished with the case, so I was going to invite Kate for lunch," the chief's wife said. "But I guess-" she began to say as she set Eliza down. Her phone rang then, cutting her off, and she answered it saying, "Hello? No, I'm not… he's what? I'll, I'll watch right now," looking at Martha.

"What's wrong?" Castle's mother asked in concern at her expression.

"It's on TV, but…" Lily replied, looking down at Eliza.

"Darling, why don't you play over here…" Martha told her granddaughter, taking her to a tiny table for her and her sister that was against the wall so the couch would block the toddler's view of the screen. "Play and we'll do a little reading before lunch okay?" she asked, giving Eliza the large, colorful counting bears she used. When she nodded, Martha kissed her temple and then hurried over to the TV, pausing in mid-step when she saw that Lily had already turned it on, seeing what was on the screen. She opened her mouth to speak but just remembered not to for her granddaughter's sake. "Oh my god," she whispered, sharing a look with the chief's wife as at that moment, Brad was bringing the oar up against a man's throat, the baby in his arms crying shrilly before he began to move.

* * *

Pulling the handle against Gaspara's neck Brad had to tighten his grip on the wood, feeling the man starting to fight by trying to step forward. He was about to call to Beckett for her to help him, when he saw her glove covered hands appear in his vision.

Reaching down for the baby but trying not to tip them over was a difficult task for Beckett to accomplish. But she managed to get a hold on the baby under his arms, trying not to grasp Christopher so tightly that she hurt him. "Now, I have him Brad," she told the chief quickly.

With that, he wrapped his arm around Gaspara's neck to leave the oar free for him to use if he needed. "Can you get him?" Brad asked.

"No, he's got… his arm is around the baby's legs," Beckett said, seeing where Gaspara's arms were. She then suddenly felt a flash of pain on her right arm and she nearly lost her hold of Christopher.

Running right to the edge of the water when he saw the knife in the killer's hand slash at his wife's arm, Castle had to stop himself from launching into the pond. "Don't shoot!" he yelled at Bernier and Kirby who had run to the shore on the other side with their weapons aimed.

"Hold your fire," Brad said before he saw the knife coming up out of the water again in Gaspara's free hand. He quickly acted, slamming the handle of the oar down on the man's head as hard as he could. But his movement was too slow, trying to make sure the boat stayed upright. He hit again and that time managed to make Gaspara stagger. But since he was no longer holding on to the killer's neck the man was able to go forward and he yelled Beckett's name as he pushed the boat forward with one hand and then grasped on to killer's shoulder, digging his fingers into it as hard as he could.

Beckett had no idea how exactly it happened but suddenly the baby was slipping out of Gaspara's arm and she nearly fell back. "I've got him!" she told Brad as he was still struggling with the killer. "Let go, we need to go," she insisted while she was finishing wrapping Christopher in her coat. She wrapped her arms around him tightly as Brad was rowing them back to shore, murmuring soothingly to the baby to try and stop his crying.

"Hutchinson, I need you to help me once we get the baby out and Beckett's out," Brad was yelling to the officer as he slowly neared shore; one of the oars he'd had floating in front of Gaspara.

Beckett glanced over to the man, seeing that he was staying still in place and for a few seconds she kept an eye on him, though she couldn't do much where she was. But because the other officers were standing on the shore around the end with their weapons trained on him she turned back, seeing one of the EMTs was standing almost in the water, the other behind her to make sure she didn't fall in as she leaned over. She moved onto her knees as they neared and was able to put Christopher in the paramedic's hands. When the two EMTs had left, starting to run, she began to step out of the boat as Hutchinson came over to take her place. But before she could get one boot on the ground she was almost lifted up by her husband, landing on the snow on her feet effortlessly.

"Here," Castle said as he started to unbutton his coat.

"No, I'm fine," Beckett said, though she had her arms around herself and was beginning to shake. After her husband had draped the black jacket on her shoulders she felt instant warmth and murmured a quick thanks to him before they both turned their attention to the boat nearing Gaspara again.

That time, without the baby to make things more urgent, the chief and Hutchinson were able to herd the killer to the shore; the female officer threatening him with a tazer gun; where Kirby and Bernier grabbed him before he could run. But as soon as he was on the snow covered ground Gaspara began to fight and it took Brad and Hutchinson jumping from the boat to help them get him handcuffed.

Watching the killer being dragged through the snow to another ambulance, Castle said, "Where do you want to go?" to his wife.

"The hospital," Beckett said. "Since that's where he's going."

"Come on, I'll give you guys a ride," Brad said, coming up to them then as he'd sent Kirby with the ambulance.

"You don't need to change?" Castle asked as they were walking, avoiding the news crew still there. "And love, your arm?" he asked.

"It's fine," Beckett replied quickly.

"I have a spare shirt in my cruiser," Brad said as the one he was wearing was wet. "But I need you two to do something for me."

"Sure." "Anything," Castle and then Beckett said.

"You need to see if you can talk to Nesta and Alison about the attack, Enos will meet you," Brad said. "I'm sending you two," he said quickly as he could see their confusion at that. "Because I'm sure Nesta will talk to you Beckett. And Rick… I know you wouldn't just leave her."

Castle didn't really have anything to say to that, so he just nodded before he and Beckett got into the cruiser after his friend.

* * *

"Where is he? Where's Brad?" Lily Davis said as she was running down the hall in the hospital to where Castle and Beckett were sitting. "I couldn't tell if he was hurt, the cameras got pushed back," she said in a rush.

"Lily, calm down," Beckett said, standing up with her husband. "Brad is fine, he got wet but not so much that he's going to get hypothermia."

"He's talking with the killer he was apprehending right now," Castle said. "So he's well enough to work."

Breathing out heavily, Lily said, "I was so worried, I'm just glad I didn't scare Eliza enough to-"

"Eliza, were you at our house?" Castle asked in surprise.

"I went there to invite you to lunch Kate," Lily told her friend. "And I got a call from Kim that Brad was at a pond and your mother and I watched what happened. But Eliza played by herself, away from the TV, but still with us."

"Oh, Mother must have been putting Eliza down for a nap," Castle told his wife as his phone started to ring. "Excuse-" he began before Beckett grabbed his arm to stop him.

"How are you Kate?" Lily asked, that move reminding her that her friend had been cut according to the reporter.

"It's fine, my blouse being so thick helped," Beckett said, looking at her arm where the shallow but long cut was under the sleeve of her husband's coat. She then turned her attention to Castle, listening to him speaking to his mother as he then put the phone on speaker.

"So she's alright?" Martha was saying.

"She's fine," Castle told her. "You're sure Eliza didn't see anything?"

"I'm certain and she's asleep now," Martha said. "But she was asking for you two."

"We'll be home soon," Beckett told her mother in law, leaning over slightly. "Probably before Julia's class is over if we can. It depends on how things go here."

"We'll call you Mother, to let you know when we're on the way," Castle said.

"We need to go Martha," Beckett said, seeing Brad at the entrance to the waiting room.

"Brad!" Lily cried as Castle was hanging up his phone. She ran to her husband and hugged him tightly, asking if he was okay.

"Yeah, I'm doing great," the chief said simply. "You know I wouldn't be walking around if I wasn't."

"Do I need to go?" Lily asked as she could see Castle and Beckett were glancing over at them from the corners of their eyes.

"I'm afraid we're not finished with this case," Brad replied. "But I'll be home tonight as soon as I can. Give my love to the kids if you see them before I do." After exchanging a kiss with his wife he watched her go and once she had he gestured to Castle and Beckett's chairs so they'd sit again. "So I tried to talk to Gaspara but he's not talking," he started with. "But we have the case wrapped up."

"In what way?" Castle asked.

"The .45, in his car he'd driven to the Seymour house," Brad said. "It needs to be tested; Enos took it in to do that; but I think we can all agree it's more than likely the gun. And as for motive, we have it; Antonio gave the track to his son."

"What about the sister that owns it now?" Beckett asked.

"Hutchinson was able to contact her; you know she's from Columbia so she speaks Spanish," Brad said. "According to her, the idea that she was doing anything illegal was laughable, but there was a gang that was trying to muscle her out. That gang is one that Gaspara ran with in his youth. It's why Antonio brought his brother here as they dealt and did drugs and worked the prostitution at the track."

"Does that mean that his father was innocent?" Castle inquired.

"No, his father wasn't," the chief replied. "It seems that out of the three children he had, Gaspara was like him the most. I'm of the theory that Gaspara thought killing his nephew would allow him to take over but you saw the addendum, it was his sister that would get it."

"So more than likely he would have gone back to Argentina-" Castle began.

"And kill his sister to get his hands on the track since he's handy with a gun," Beckett added.

"I think so," Brad said with a nod.

"And the drugs, did you manage to get that set?" Beckett asked.

"We did, searching the name we found property that had an old cabin built on it, the drugs were stored there," Brad said. "And so was the paperwork to pay the drivers to stage the abandoned horse trailers. There was never any cocaine in there, except for the trace amounts they left as the records were specific in telling the drivers where to put the small baggies worth of powder."

"He was trying to set up his brother," Castle and Beckett suddenly said at the same time.

"It looks like it, since the trailers immediately made me think of him," Brad said, his jaw clenched in his anger.

"I would have thought the same," Beckett said quickly, reassuringly to him.

"So that's what we have," Brad said.

"And Gaspara? Is he fit to stand trial?" Castle asked.

"He will be, he has mild hypothermia, but he'll recover," Brad replied. "But he's not talking as I mentioned before, I don't get the feeling that he will."

Nodding at the same time as her husband, Beckett then said, "We've been waiting for the Seymours, they were brought here after their doctors released them, they'll be fine."

"Did you try to talk to them?" Brad asked.

"I did," Beckett said. "We both did."

"They were in a hurry though, to check on the baby," Castle said.

"Not a surprise," Brad said. "Have you asked the doctor if he's okay?"

"We don't have the authority," Beckett said, smiling as the chief immediately stood up, and walked over to the nurses' station. She looked over at her husband then and still smiling told him, "Thanks for picking me up out of the boat. And I mean that literally," as she took his hand, entwining their fingers.

"My pleasure, also I needed to get you into my coat," Castle said. "You looked freezing out on the water; I'm going to guess that adrenaline helped out with that?"

"It did," Beckett said, looking at her arm then. "Another wound."

"We pick up a lot on our cases," Castle said.

"We do, but this one I don't mind," Beckett said. "Or this," she then added absently, touching her riding crop cut that the doctor treating her had taken a look at. "At least I should be relatively okay by Christmas. Not our date though."

"Really, you- Oh, I see," Castle started to say in surprise, thinking she was worried about her appearance. But she then smiled and he wrapped his arm around her saying, "I know, but I'll still think I'm with the most gorgeous woman. Now, if you tried to say which of us was more handsome, then it would be me. But that's more because I've never called you handsome."

Rolling her eyes, Beckett said, "You manage to compliment both of us at the same time a lot."

"It's a gift," Castle said, smiling. He took his wife's hand that squeezed his knee with his free one and said, "Are you emotionally exhausted right now?" as they looked over at Brad, still talking to a doctor.

"Yeah, it was rough, I was so afraid he'd slip through my fingers," Beckett said with a sigh. "And into the water, but he is okay now."

"He is," Castle assured her. "You were keeping him warm as soon as you got him out of the water and to the paramedics."

"Now though, we have to worry about the girls," Beckett said. When her husband looked momentarily puzzled, she raised her arm and said, "I can't wear long sleeves all the time."

"They'll be okay, I think they know what we do is a little rough," Castle said, more to assure himself than her. "And they saw that you're okay after the cut to your cheek, so I wouldn't be concerned. We'll figure something out to tell them when we see them."

"That I'm leaving to you since you're the better storyteller," Beckett replied, leaning against him more to put her head on his shoulder. But she didn't last that way long as Brad was coming back to them and she stood before Castle did.

"He'll be fine, they just want to make sure with a few more tests he wasn't harmed in any other way," the chief told them, not surprised at their sighs of relief.

Before any of them could say anything, a nurse called, "Ms. Beckett?"

"That's me," she said, turning to look at her.

"Ms. Seymour is asking to speak with you," the woman said.

"Go," Brad said when Beckett looked to him. "If she wants to talk about what happened, ask if we can come in."

"Thanks for including me man," Castle said as they watched Beckett walk away with the nurse.

"Not a problem brother," Brad said, bumping fists with his friend.

Walking to the room where Christopher was being kept, Beckett was a little startled when his mother flung her arms around her, starting to cry. She then was able to discern a thank you in that and she quickly told her, "It's alright Ms. Seymour-"

"Nesta," the woman said quickly letting her go and trying to dry her cheeks with a tissue.

"Nesta, I couldn't let anything happen to him," Beckett assured her. "I'm sure if the situation was the other way around, I'd be thanking you for saving my daughter."

"Please, come see him," Seymour said, taking Beckett by her uninjured arm and leading her to the bassinet where the baby was laying, asleep.

"I'm sorry Ms. Beckett," Mrs. Seymour said, sitting in a chair next to her grandson. "I shouldn't have been so abrupt the other day."

"It's okay," Beckett replied seriously. "I know what you thought I was doing there and I can't blame the sentiment. So he's okay," she said, turning her head to the baby.

"Just fine, a little cold but his temperature is back up now, we'll be able to take him home once we get some results back," Seymour said before she leaned down and kissed her son's forehead tenderly. When she'd stood up there was a determined glint in her eye and she asked, "Do we need to talk to the police about what happened?"

"That would be helpful," Beckett said.

"Then please, tell them to come, we'll talk," Mrs. Seymour said.

"Is it alright if my husband joins us?" Beckett asked.

"Was he helping too?" Seymour asked.

"He was and he actually was the one that spotted Gaspara with your son," Beckett told her.

"Then he can hear this as well," Seymour replied before Beckett went to get a nurse to bring the Chief and Castle into the room.

Looking down at the baby once she was back in the room, Beckett smiled as she reached down and let him take her finger, feeling him grip it tightly. There was a big sense of relief in that, as she knew for sure that the baby was alright.

"Thank you so much," Seymour was saying then as Castle and Brad appeared in the doorway then. She took the former's hand saying, "Your wife told me you saw Antonio's brother taking Christopher before he disappeared."

"I'm happy to help," Castle said, glancing at Beckett and seeing the smile on her face. When the mother let go of his hand he went over to his wife, looking down with her at the baby.

"So Nesta, Alison, you're prepared to speak with us about what happened?" Brad asked, getting a notepad and pen.

"Yes, we were getting lunch ready for Christopher," Mrs. Seymour said quickly. "And we heard this loud crash, which was my front door being kicked open. I ran out first, telling Nesta to call the police-"

"I couldn't, Christopher was crying and I needed to make sure he was okay," Seymour said a little defensively as the other three looked at her.

"I would have done the same," Beckett told her.

"So would I," Brad said. "Please, continue."

"It was that man, he had a knife and he was demanding to know where the baby was," Mrs. Seymour said before she shivered heavily. "His eyes were… wild and he forced me to the kitchen where he hit me here on the back of the head. And that's all I remember until I woke up and called 911."

"He hit her as soon as he saw my son," Seymour took over. "And I tried to run, but I…"

"You just gave birth," Beckett said, reaching to her on the other side of the bassinet. "I can imagine it wasn't easy."

Shaking her head furiously, Seymour said, "It was painful and he was able to catch up with me and that's when he hit me after he had turned me around. I guess to catch Christopher before he could fall to the floor. And the next thing I remember is seeing you two above me."

"Okay, well, Mr. Gaspara will be charged with assault and kidnapping of course; as well as murder. So he'll be going to jail for a long time," Brad said. "Did you know him at all? Did Antonio ever talk about him?"

"No, but we weren't that close," Seymour said, looking embarrassed. "But he did mention his cousin, his brother I know now. And when he did he just said loving horses didn't always run through a family." She paused and said, "He did tell me once that he thought his cousin would rather use horses, than care for them. Did he?" When the three nodded she sighed and said, "Then that would explain why Antonio was mad saying that."

"What if your son loves horses?" Beckett asked, looking at Brad. When he nodded to Seymour she sighed inwardly and quickly told the mother, "Antonio left something in his will for your son. He's now the official owner of the racetrack his father had in Buenos Aires."

"What?" Mrs. Seymour said in shock.

"And he added that if Christopher was under eighteen when he inherited it, you'd be able to run things for him Ms. Seymour," Castle added.

"Nesta," Seymour said automatically in her shock. "But… I don't know anything about running a racetrack." She then seemed to comprehend what they'd said and asked, "Is that why Antonio was killed by his own brother?"

"Mr. Gaspara thought he was going to get the racetrack, either by his brother's death or Antonio would transfer it to him, we're not sure," Brad said. "When he found out what his brother had done with his will… he snapped."

"Are you going to be okay?" Beckett asked, knowing the woman was thinking about her deceased husband at that.

"Yeah, I will, I just… I'm not sure what to do with the racetrack," Seymour said.

"Antonio's half sister runs it now," Castle said. "You should try and get in contact with her, maybe have her take care of it. According to the authorities she's running a more legitimate business with it."

"Until Christopher here is of age and can decide what he wants to do," Beckett said, smiling down at the baby who was staring up at them seriously.

"I'll do that," Seymour said. "Thank you, again, for everything you've done," she told them earnestly before she started to cry.

"We should go," Brad said, Castle and Beckett nodding in agreement.

"Keep in touch with us," Beckett said hurriedly as Mrs. Seymour had her daughter sit down. "If you ever need anything, for you and Christopher."

"We will, thank you," Mrs. Seymour said for her daughter, hugging her tightly.

"Alright, so I'm going to head back to the station," Brad said once they were out in the waiting room. "Once I have the two of you sign the papers you're off until next year."

"Sure you don't want us to help with that paperwork?" Beckett asked while they headed to the elevator.

"I'm good, you know the mayor would protest that," Brad replied.

"Me too," Castle said under his breath, smiling when Beckett nudged him in the side as they leaned against the wall of the elevator car before the doors closed.

* * *

As Castle pulled the car around to the front door, Beckett was looking at her phone saying, "I guess they're at her class now."

"At least we'll be there to see some of it," Castle said as they went into the house.

"Some being the keyword, we might be too late by the time I finish changing," Beckett said as he checked his watch then.

"That's true," Castle replied. "But," he told his wife as he followed her up the stairs. "We're off for a while now; we can go to her classes all week."

"We could but you know she doesn't want us to do that," Beckett replied.

"Then most of the week," Castle said as they went into their room.

"Are you changing too?" Beckett asked him with a slight smile on her face as he didn't really need to follow her.

"No, just providing you some company," Castle said simply, sitting down.

"You mean you just want to see me change my top," Beckett replied wryly.

"And that too," Castle said. He smiled as she shook her head and then headed to their closet before he said, "Kate?"

"Yeah," Beckett said absently, her voice muffled.

"We've never worked out what we're going to do about the dog," Castle said as he watched her walk out to the wood table behind the headboard of the bed.

"We had the case to distract us," Beckett replied as she took off her torn blouse and set it aside to get rid of since the cut in the fabric was too big to fix. "But you're right, we should figure out what to do. Obviously we need to pick it up, but when?"

"We can get it the day before Christmas Eve," Castle said. "And beg Rebecca and David-"

"No, are you crazy? It's way too risky," Beckett said. "What if Julia runs over there to play? We can't risk her seeing it."

"Then Brad and Lily," Castle said.

"Better, but we need to ask first," Beckett said, buttoning her dark blue blouse. She glanced at her husband and seeing his concern she smiled saying, "I'm okay."

"I know, just… want to make sure," Castle said.

Beckett was going to go over to him when her phone rang, and she said, "It's Esposito."

"I wonder if the news in the city got footage from the pond," Castle said, standing up and meeting her next to the bed.

"Hey Beckett, Castle," the detective said when both had greeted him. "Found something in Yonkers, a man was shot during a robbery at a bodega earlier this morning. His name's Cory Lynch."

"And we should know that name because…?" Castle said.

"Because he was in jail with 3XK," Esposito replied. "And suspected of a dozen muggings in the area but they were unable to pin it on him as their witnesses kept saying it was a woman, but the woman in question always had an alibi."

"Sounds like a student of Tyson's too," Castle said grimly.

"So that's one less adherent," Beckett replied. "There was nothing suspicious about the murder?"

"It wasn't really murder, the robber was trying to shoot at a cop outside the bodega and hit Lynch instead," Esposito said. "Talked to the investigator myself and confirmed that."

"Okay, thanks for letting-" Beckett started to say.

"One other thing I heard about what happened out in the Hamptons, they're actually showing the footage right now on the news," Esposito said before he was quiet. "Are you okay? That baby?"

"I'm fine, the baby is too and the case is over," Beckett said quickly.

"You need to go somewhere?" Esposito asked.

"Yeah, we told our daughter we'd try and pick her up today," Castle said.

"Alright, Ryan… stop dude," Esposito said as there was talking in the background. "He wants you to tell our nieces hello for us."

"We will, thanks for calling again Javi," Beckett said before she and Castle said goodbye to their former partner. "Okay, so, if we were in doubt about Tyson."

"Were you?" Castle asked in slight surprise.

"No, never," Beckett said. "But at least that's one sycophant down."

Nodding, Castle knew what she wasn't saying; that they had no idea how many more there were out there, having learned some sadistic lessons from 3XK. But he knew they should really go to pick up Julia with that on their minds so he said, "We're set on the dog?"

"I think so," Beckett said, smiling briefly as she knew what he was doing. "What are you thinking?" she asked as she studied his face, knowing by his expression that he'd just had an idea.

"Well, it needs to wait until we get the girls," Castle said. "More to the point if Julia has a lot of homework."

"You want to do something with them," Beckett stated. She smiled when he nodded and said, "I agree, but what?"

"I was going to surprise you…" Castle muttered under his breath. When his wife just gave him a look he quickly told her, "Go out to the movies, you know they're screening cartoons at the theater downtown."

"We could do that," Beckett replied, smiling again. "Actually, I would love to do that," she said, her tone of voice taking on more force.

Castle quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him for a tight hug as he knew she was thinking about what had happened at the pond and wanting to see their daughters. He murmured to her, "I know, I want to see them too. So we should probably go."

Beckett nodded, though he couldn't see it, and she pulled away, reaching up to him to cup his cheeks. "Before we do though…" she told him.

Leaning down immediately, Castle took his wife's lips with his own and they kissed but very slowly and tenderly. He was just at the point of breathlessness when they parted and he wrapped his arm around her while they were leaving the room saying, "We can get some popcorn and candy, and-"

"Not if you want them to eat dinner at all," Beckett told him.

"And where are we taking them for that?" Castle asked, relieved to see she sounded a lot happier with that.

" _The Studebaker_ ," Beckett said simply.

"And this is one of many reasons why I love you Kate," Castle said before he leaned over and kissed her tenderly. "Now let's go get the girls and surprise them with our day out."

"One of many reasons why I love you Rick," Beckett said with a smile at his eagerness as she made him stop at the top of the stairs so they could kiss again. That one was a little deeper, and when they'd parted, she pressed her lips quickly against his in a brief peck before they left for Julia's school.


	12. We Remember Who We Are

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some lyrics here, from the song Dance 'Til We're High by Paul McCartney, from The Fireman (Paul McCartney and Youth) album Electric Arguments.
> 
> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song (I Want to) Come Home by Paul McCartney, a single written for the movie Everybody's Fine.

Turning around while she spun, Julia caught sight of two figures near the door to the classroom but it didn't register to her who it was until she had stopped, facing away from them. "Mommy!" she cried, whirling around before running to her.

Surprised as the little girl wrapped her arms around her, Beckett quickly said, "I'm so sorry," to the dance class teacher.

"It's alright, we were ending there anyways so you may all head home," she said with a smile. "And remember, tomorrow we're taking the day off. But Monday we'll be going back to the Jive. Have a wonderful weekend students."

"Sweetie what's wrong?" Beckett asked as the other kids went to the back room to change.

"I saw on the TV what happened," Julia said, looking up at her. "Are you okay?"

"How did you see?" Castle asked as he shared a shocked look with his wife.

"I went to take something to the library, but no one was at the desk," Julia replied. "And when I went back to see if I could find the librarians, they were all watching TV, and you were on. Both of you."

"We're okay," Beckett assured her. "I had to help Brad-"

"Get that baby out of the water," Julia said hurriedly, interrupting her. "But why did he do that? That man?"

"He wanted something and he thought doing that to the baby would help him," Castle said, thinking quickly. "But the baby is okay and that man is definitely going to jail."

Breathing out a little Julia told her mother seriously, "I was scared, but I kept watching to make sure you were okay. But what about your arm?"

"You saw that?" Beckett asked in dismay. When the little girl nodded she sighed and then said, "It's fine, more of a scratch really."

"She's not kidding, I saw," Castle said quickly when their daughter looked to him. "The doctors took a look at it and she's doing fine."

"We're finished with the case now sweetie," Beckett then said. "And we want to celebrate a little bit."

"What are we going to do?" Julia asked, becoming interested after hearing that her parents were finished with the case.

"You'll see once you get changed," Castle said. Once she'd gone to the back rooms he went with Beckett over to his mother and Eliza who were waiting for them. "Hey sweetheart," he said, taking the toddler into his arms. He smiled at his wife when their youngest started to kiss his cheek and he turned his head to share a kiss with her. "I'm happy to see you too. So how was your day?"

"No Daddy," Eliza said before she leaned over and kissed her mother. "I played with Gram," she then said.

"So you had fun," Beckett said, smiling when the toddler nodded. "Did you go down to the beach?"

"Yeah, we see shells," Eliza replied carefully.

"A lot of them," Martha replied. She squeezed Beckett's shoulder before saying, "I hope you won't mind me stepping out tonight again."

"You don't feel you have to do you?" Castle asked his mother.

"No, no, I decided to repay the Swansons and I'll be taking them out to dinner tonight," Martha replied. "We'll be going to Southampton so I'll stay home while you go out."

"How do you know we're going out?" Castle said.

"I can tell," Martha said simply. "As for where, I have no idea yet."

"You'll find out now," Beckett said with a smile as they looked over at the students coming out from changing. They all left except for one of the last kids; Julia; and she held her hand out to her daughter as she went straight to her. They walked ahead of the others before she said, "Where's Mari?"

"David picked her up," Julia answered. "Rebecca wanted her to come home. I think she missed her."

"I don't blame her, I missed my daughters too," Beckett said, smiling down at her.

"What are we going to do?" Julia then asked, remembering the celebration her mother had mentioned.

"I told your mom we should take you and your sister to the movie theater downtown and then out to dinner," Castle said, hurrying to walk next to them.

"Don't you want to go?" Beckett asked, seeing Julia's hesitation.

"I do but… what if we wait to go?" the little girl asked.

"Then what would… I forgot to ask, what about your homework?" Castle asked.

At that Julia smiled and said, "I don't have any."

"At all?" Beckett said in surprise. When Julia nodded she then said, "Okay, then what would you like to do instead of the movies?"

"The studio?" Julia suggested. She then hurriedly said, "I want to maybe paint a vase for Alexis and we can buy flowers for it. And then I can paint something for my teacher."

"I think it sounds like a fun idea," Martha suggested. "And you two haven't taken them there have you?"

"No, we never did," Beckett said, sharing a look with her husband. "Do you want to go?"

"I think I should ask you," Castle said in reply.

"I do, it might be pretty fun," Beckett said, not surprised he was unsure about her wanting to go to a place like that. "And I'd love to see what you might be able to paint."

"You want to paint something too?" Castle said in obvious surprise.

"Rick, I'm not that boring," Beckett said. She smiled at their youngest who cried, "No, Daddy!"

"Okay, then this will be fun," Castle said as they were walking up the driveway to the house.

Inside Castle and Beckett stopped their daughters from leaving the entry, the former setting Julia's backpack on the bench.

"Say goodbye to your gram," Beckett told Julia and Eliza as they looked confused but also excited.

"I hope you have a really great dinner," Julia said as she and her sister wrapped their arms around Martha's waist.

"I will and you two will as well of course," Castle's mother said, taking them to the bench so she could sit and hug them to her tightly. "We'll say goodnight, because I might stay the night with them, they'll likely want to stay out late."

"You can walk me to school?" Julia asked her parents.

"We will, so if you stay Mother it's fine," Castle told her.

"Alright, then goodnight Julia, Eliza I'll see you tomorrow," Martha said. "And I love you both so much."

"Love you Gram!" Julia cried, throwing her arms around her grandmother as tightly as she could.

"Me too Gram," Eliza said, hugging Martha around her side since her sister was holding her by the neck.

"We're very lucky," Castle's mother was saying to her son and daughter in law as she was embracing the girls. When they smiled at her she kissed her granddaughters before standing up. "Have fun and I trust you two to tell me about everything that happens."

"We will, don't worry Gram you'll hear everything we do," Julia assured her.

"Night Mother, we'll see you tomorrow at some point," Castle said.

"Have a great dinner," Beckett said before she and her husband took their daughters out to the car.

"I wonder what you're gonna paint this time," Julia was saying to her sister as they were driving to the place.

"I think you should stick with a plate," Castle suggested, looking back to look at them as Beckett was driving.

"Kay, help Daddy?" Eliza asked hopefully.

"Of course," Castle said. "What should I paint?" he then asked them.

Beckett smiled as Julia and Eliza both started to speak at the same time and she said, "Eliza?"

"Plate," the toddler said immediately.

"I think you should paint a vase," Julia said before her mother could ask her.

"Then I'll paint a plate," Beckett said as she was parking. "You want to paint with me instead?" she asked Eliza once she was in the backseat getting her out of her car seat.

"No, Daddy," the toddler replied immediately.

"I guess that settles that," Castle said, squeezing Julia's hand as she was standing with him as they waited. He ran his hand over her hair, not surprised at her nearly protesting her mother's suggestion as he had a feeling after what she'd seen on TV she wanted to be close to her. "Do you have an idea of what you want to paint on the mug?" he asked as they went over to the building where the pottery studio was since Beckett was carrying Eliza and walking after them.

Once inside, the two were greeted by an employee who remembered the girls from their previous visits and she then led them to the shelves of pottery. With Julia helping them decide what to pick the family soon went over to a table together and prepared to paint.

"So I was going to say Daddy," the little girl said, looking across the table at him and Eliza. "Mrs. Watson likes trees, so I want to paint those. And make the leaves red, orange and yellow 'cause she told us she likes fall leaves the most."

"Good idea, but how are you going to paint the leaves?" Castle asked her.

"With this!" Julia said, showing a plastic stick that looked like the handle of a brush but was cut off on the bottom. "See? It makes the perfect circle."

"It does," Beckett said as she picked the last of the paints she wanted to use. "What about you sweetie?" she said to Eliza who was looking at her paintbrush closely.

"Not in your mouth," Castle said, knowing what that stare indicated. "Remember the paint goes on there. What do you want to put on your plate?"

"These," Eliza said, reaching for a paint jar. She took one that was a dark blue and then two more, picking a green one last. "Wanna put dots."

"Pointillism, interesting," Castle said. "I look forward to seeing what you can do. Love?"

"You'll find out," Beckett said with a smile as she dipped the second stick that was like the one Julia was going to use into some black paint.

"Make sure it looks like peacock feathers," Julia was telling her father as he was getting some blue paint onto his brush. "Are you going to make it look like feathers?"

"Oh no, I'm not an artist," Castle said. He then pointed the end of his brush and then told her in a mock stern tone of voice, "A photographer yes but that's because your mom says I am."

Giggling, Julia was about to say something when her little sister suddenly reached up to their father and painted a line above his upper lip. She then burst out laughing as both ends of the light blue line ended up pointing up and she cried, "It looks like you have a mustache!"

"So it does," Castle said, laughing under his breath as he used his phone to look at himself. "Take a picture with me Eliza," he said then, leaning down to snap the selfie with her, making sure she was holding up the paintbrush in front of them. "Nice," he said, nodding. "What do you think Kate?" he asked, looking at his wife and wondering why she hadn't said anything.

"It's… interesting, remember what I told you though," Beckett said, pointing her brush at him.

"I know, no facial hair," Castle said. "But I like it, it makes me look like a weird, Andy Warhol version of Snidely Whiplash," he said as he pretended to stroke the fake mustache.

"It does make your eyes bluer," Beckett commented with a slight smirk, wondering at what he'd say to that.

"Oh, maybe I should leave it," Castle said, pretending to think about that seriously.

"No," Beckett said. "Wipe it off or you'll get it in your tea," she said as the woman who'd help them pick out what to paint came over with their drink orders.

"It was still nice to have a mustache for a little," Castle said. "Hey, not bad sweetheart," he said, looking at the plate the toddler was painting still next to him.

"It is water," Eliza said with a giggle as she watched her father wipe the paint off his face. "And no monsters, just fishies," she said looking at her nearly filled in plate that she was using the light blue color on.

"Is that what the green is going to be?" Julia asked.

Looking at the jars and studying them, Eliza shook her head and said, "No Daddy, colors like the big fishies."

"Big fishies?" Castle asked his wife as he started to put the green jars away.

"Dolphins?" Beckett asked.

When her little sister shook her head Julia quickly said, "I think she means koi fish?" though she spoke hesitantly.

"Oh, good idea. So white," Castle said, getting the jar from in front of them. "And orange, yellow, black. Are those good?"

"Thank you Daddy," Eliza said. She looked at her mother's plate and said, "What is that Mommy?"

"They're just dots," Beckett said with a smile.

"Why Mommy?" Eliza then said.

"You'll see when I finish," Beckett replied easily. "But why did you take the other blues?"

"I think she wants the water to be different colors," Castle suggested. He wasn't surprised when their youngest nodded enthusiastically at him and he said, "I'll do that for you okay? Or do you want to do it yourself?"

"No, you Daddy," Eliza replied. She then reached across to the paintbrushes also in the middle of the table and showed him the thinnest one. "This one."

"Okay, then I better hurry with my vase here…" Castle said, going back to painting triangles with the peacock blue and peacock green paint. "I think your gram might want this vase when she sees it, you know how much she loves these colors."

"I still think Alexis will like it," Julia said, looking up from her mug. "Especially if you paint the borders with black, or is that gonna be too much?"

"No, I can do that," Castle said.

"How are those trees coming?" Beckett asked since Julia had stopped painting.

"Good," the little girl said with a smile. "Like the trunks?"

"I think you might have a little bit of an artist in you," Castle said as they admired them.

"He's right, those are really well done, I like that you have them different shapes," Beckett commented. "And that you put different colors on the dark brown, you've been looking at your pictures of the paintings at the Met haven't you?"

"Yeah, I thought about doing this and I thought Gram would take us," Julia said.

"Next time you want to try and do something with us," Castle said, realizing from that; and seeing that Beckett had too; that the little girl had been unsure about if they'd want to come to the studio. "Just ask, we'll think about it okay?"

"Promise you'll think about it?" Julia asked.

"We promise," Beckett said, leaning over and pressing her lips to the top of the little girl's head. She wrapped her left arm around her daughter when Julia hugged her tightly and she murmured an I love you in response to the one that the little girl whispered to her. "Okay, drink your juice and then see if you can start on those leaves."

"Ready for me to start?" Castle asked as Eliza grabbed her cup and he was quick to help her take a sip. When she nodded after drinking he scooted his chair over closer to her and then began to paint short lines on the bottom of the plate, using the darkest blue and then the medium shade she'd picked out before putting some white dashes as well. When he finished he asked, "What do you think."

" _Beautiful_ ," Beckett said, smiling as Eliza giggled shyly in pleasure. "And you did a good job too love."

" _Thank you_ ," Castle said, waving his hand to her and making their daughters laugh. "Okay, now you can make the koi fish. Think you can do it by yourself?"

"Help me Daddy," Eliza said quickly. She pointed to the orange-red paint he'd picked out and watched him closely as he dipped the end of the handle into it before he made her hold it. With him leading her she pressed the circle down on the blue and when it pulled away she squealed for a moment at the circle underneath and bounced on the chair saying, "I do it!"

"Go ahead but if you have any problems just let me know," Castle told her.

"How are your leaves coming along Julia?" Beckett asked the little girl.

"Okay but I don't know what I should do," she said, biting her lower lip for a moment. "Should I put the colors at the bottom like they fell? Or… I thought I could put some here under the leaves on top, but just a couple."

"I like the second idea," Castle said.

"I agree," Beckett said as Julia turned to her. "It'll make it look like fall has just started."

Smiling, Julia got back to work on finishing the first tree and with the few circles underneath she nodded and then moved on. She watched her mother paint for a little out of the corner of her eye, seeing she was using a blue that looked a lot like the shade her aquamarine pendant was to make some dots with another handle that had been in the holder. When she then started to use green she smiled, knowing that that color was supposed to be her emerald. She then turned her attention back to her mug until she had finished it, looking at it all the way around. "Good?" she asked, showing it to her mother.

"I think Mrs. Watson will love it," Beckett replied with a smile, kissing her temple. "What do you think?" she asked, showing her the plate with its curved lines of black, some blue and green dots in the spaces of white.

"Pretty!" Eliza said.

"How did you get the paint on your chin?" Beckett said with a slight laugh, seeing some of the white dots on her chin.

"I want to be a fishy too," Eliza told them.

"You're pretty close," Castle said, wiping off her chin. "But look at her plate."

"Wow, I'm shocked," Beckett said in surprise to see the plate wasn't overrun with dots. "You were watching her?"

"I was," Castle said with a smile that his wife returned. "And what do you think?" he asked, showing them his vase.

"Oh Daddy, that's perfect; Alexis will love it," Julia said happily. "I'm so glad we came!"

"Me too, we should do this again sometime. Maybe Christmas gifts?" Castle suggested.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea," Beckett said. "For your grandparents."

"And 'lexis," Julia said quickly.

"And for Alexis too," Castle said. "Okay, so I'll get the employee to take these to the kiln, you three wash up and I'll meet you next door?"

"The florist's shop?" Beckett asked.

"To pick the flowers for the vase," Castle said simply. He watched the three leave for the sinks against the side of the room, and then looked for the employee to get her to take their things. After they were taken away he rushed to the sinks himself to hurriedly wash his hands and follow them next door. Stepping into the florist's shop they'd been in only that morning he watched his wife and their daughters for a moment, looking around after before something snagged his eye and he then went over to them at some sunflowers.

"I don't think these will fit in your sister's vase," Beckett was telling Eliza since the toddler had pulled her over to the yellow flowers. "We need something a little smaller."

"What about these?" Julia asked, pointing to flowers that were yellow.

"Dahlias," Castle said, getting their attention. "A couple of those would be pretty," he said as he picked Eliza up when she ran to him.

"What do they mean?" Julia then said.

"Elegance and I think dignity if I'm remembering correctly," Beckett said after thinking for a moment.

"That's perfect for Alexis," Julia said, picking two of them. "Okay, now we can go."

"I'll pay for these," Castle said, setting Eliza down then as Julia had followed him, leaving Beckett behind to look at some magnolias. "Can you two do something for me?"

"Yeah," Julia said immediately.

"Keep your mom distracted okay? Just while I pay," Castle told them as Eliza was nodding in agreement with her sister. He had expected Julia to ask why but when she merely smiled and led her sister back to Beckett he realized she knew already. Smiling at how quick she was, he turned back to the register and asked Gibbs who was standing at the counter, "It's ready?"

"Calm down you two," Beckett was saying to the girls who were begging her to leave and walk down to the toy store to see the display. "We can go look at that but your daddy's still paying."

"He'll be able to catch up," Julia said, tugging her mother's hand. "He's-"

"I'm right here," Castle said then, having paid.

"Why is your hand behind your back love?" Beckett asked as he handed Julia the two dahlias.

"Just because," Castle said.

"Close your eyes Mommy," their oldest said then.

"Close!" Eliza urged her.

Beckett shook her head and closed her eyes before she heard the rustle of plastic and she already had an idea of what Castle had. A delicate scent then reached her nose and she opened her eyes, finding him holding a bouquet with white cherry blossoms, dogwood flowers and delphinium in it. "It's beautiful," she said, taking it. She then stepped close to him, cupping his cheek before she kissed him as deeply as she could but not letting it last since she knew their daughters were watching them. "Any reason?"

"Not really," Castle said. "I think it's why they love me here."

"More than likely," Beckett said with a slight laugh. "Here," she said, handing the flowers to Julia.

"Don't touch Lizzy," the little girl told her sister. "Smell," she instructed her then. "This is so pretty. What do they mean?"

"Well the delphinium you know already; ardent attachment and joy," Beckett said. "The cherry blossom in China is a symbol of feminine beauty," she said as she glanced at her husband out of the corner of her eye.

"Kindness in Japan too," Castle was quickly to add as he smiled at her. "I'm not sure what the dogwood flower means though."

"I think…" Beckett started to say before she trailed off. "Did you know?"

"I just said no," Castle replied, wondering at her surprise. "What?"

Leaning over to him, Beckett whispered, "It means endurance."

"Oh of course," Castle said hurriedly once he'd gotten over the surprise at that. "The dogwood tree I'm sure they mean, it can endure harsh weather maybe."

"So it's a strong tree?" Julia asked, handing the bouquet back to her mother.

"Exactly," Beckett replied. "So they want to look at the toy store display now. Or was that just to get me to not notice the flowers?"

"No, we want to look," Julia said firmly.

"We'll go," Castle said, picking up Eliza as she was trying to get her mother to pick her up. "But if you two get cold we'll head to dinner."

"It's still pretty early," Beckett said doubtfully, looking at her watch as Julia held her by the wrist as they left. "Maybe if they're okay we could go inside?"

"You're sure you want to suggest that love?" Castle asked her with a smile.

"Not really but I get the feeling looking at the display will be enough to remind them what's inside," Beckett replied. She shared a look with her husband; where they seemed to agree without saying a word; and she then said, "You two can go inside and look around but you have to leave when we tell you to, or else we'll just go straight home okay?"

"Okay," Julia said simply, smiling as Eliza nodded with her eyes wide at her mother's slightly stern tone.

Walking down the sidewalk from the florist, the family took a few minutes to look at the display in the toy store window, which was a miniature village complete with a theater, post office and even a beach with sand and blue paper standing in for water. After Julia had taken a few pictures; and had her father take some; they went in and the little girl went straight to the board games while Castle took Eliza to the games for kids her age.

"Oh Mommy, I forgot I want to see their costumes," Julia said when Beckett had walked over to her. "See if I can ask Santa for one more thing. Maybe," she added with a smile as her parents had constantly told her and Eliza they could ask for things but it didn't mean they'd get everything on their list. "Do you know how he does it Mommy?" she asked as she led the way to the costumes.

"Does what?" Beckett said as she watched Julia look through some historical dresses.

"Picks what we get," the little girl asked, starting to try and pull a dress off the rack it was hanging from.

"Here," Beckett said. "And I don't know how, he just picks what he knows you want more."

"Hmm," Julia said absently, touching the blue and red 1700s style dress.

"What are you thinking? Too much red?" Beckett asked, thinking she was considering the costume.

"No, I'm thinking about when adults buy something for another adult," Julia said. "Remember in _Little House_? Ma tells Laura and Mary that Santa Claus is when you give someone a gift too. But they don't always give you a list. Does Daddy give you a list?"

Smiling at her thought process, Beckett said, "No but since we're married I see what he likes and doesn't and also what he needs that is a good present."

"So that is like Santa Claus," Julia said with a wide smile. "Oh I can't wait for Christmas, Mommy."

"Eliza can't either," Castle said, coming over with her in his arms again. "She keeps saying Santa."

"Chri'mas Mommy," Eliza then said.

"Soon sweetie," Beckett assured her. She was going to put the dress in her hand back when she paused and then reached in, pulling something out. "Hold that," she told her husband.

"What is it?" Julia asked interestedly since her father was holding a small dress from the Civil War era in dark blue complete with a hoop skirt; looking almost like a sailor's uniform at the top.

"And this," Beckett said, pulling out another of the same time period. She handed it to Julia and said, "What do you think?"

"Are you going to get these?" Castle asked as their oldest ran her fingers over the blue and white plaid in the dress she was holding.

"No, what do you think about asking Santa for those?" Beckett asked, looking at their daughters.

"Can I put on?" the toddler asked.

"Do you want to? Maybe you two could dress up together," Beckett suggested.

"Yeah, and then we could have tea parties Lizzy!" Julia said enthusiastically.

"Tell Santa," Eliza said to her sister happily.

"We will tonight," Castle said.

"How?" Julia asked.

"You'll see," Castle said, more to his wife than their oldest as Beckett was looking at him. "But I hope he does bring those for you," he said as she and Julia put the dresses back. "Maybe he'll bring one for your mom," laughing when she pushed him.

"The hoops will be too big," Julia said. "Remember Almanzo's mom couldn't walk through the door in _Farmer Boy_? She had to turn to fit."

"Then just you two," Castle said. "So why don't we head to the board games, see if they have anything new," he told Julia as he set her sister down. As the two started off ahead of them he took Beckett's hand and said, "Maybe Halloween next year I'll go as an officer in the Union army, you can be my wife."

"Any reason why you suddenly want me in that kind of dress?" Beckett asked in amusement.

"It'd be interesting to see," Castle said simply.

Shaking her head, Beckett turned her attention to the girls who were looking through the games more appropriate for Eliza to play, talking about the ones the toddler had put in her letter to Santa.

After glancing through the rest of the store's selection, Castle and Beckett gathered their daughters and managed to get them to go without too much protest; a little startling since there had been many times when they'd had to literally drag them both out.

"I think they must be hungry," Castle commented as they were walking behind the girls who were hand in hand.

"We are," Julia said. "And we're excited to send the letters." She then paused for a moment and said, "But how do you mail the letters? The mail doesn't come until tomorrow."

"Smart girl; just like your mom," Castle said. "You'll see when we get home okay?" He wasn't surprised when Julia looked a little impatient at that but didn't say anything else as they reached the ceramics studio and got their things. They then headed to the car where he waited to make sure she helped Eliza into her car seat before getting onto hers.

Beckett drove them to the restaurant and once inside she helped Eliza with her coat before taking off her own. They had to wait a few minutes so she was about to take the toddler's hand and lead her over to the old fashioned jukebox that Eliza always liked to look at when they were there. But before she could Julia was rushing over to the window, crying that it was snowing. She followed with Castle and she glanced at her husband when she saw the fat flakes that were falling few and far between.

"We'll have to keep our eyes on it," Castle said, though he knew his wife had already thought of that herself. His name was called and he was going to pick up their youngest when Julia took her hand.

"Can we sit together?" the little girl asked her parents as they were walking after the hostess.

"Will you be alright taking care of her while you eat?" Castle asked.

"I will," Julia promised.

"Alright I think we can go ahead and do that," Beckett said, since her husband was looking at her. "But be careful she doesn't spill anything."

Sitting at the booth across from their parents, Julia read the kid's menu to her sister before she saw something. "Mommy, Daddy, it says a special is an eggnog shake," she said.

"Do you want that?" Beckett asked. When the little girl looked at her in slight shock she smiled and told her, "It'll be dessert too."

"Yeah I do," Julia replied, nodding her head furiously.

"Me too Mommy?" Eliza asked.

"I think we can split one," Castle said before his wife could answer. "And they can share theirs too."

"Okay, do you know what you both want?" Beckett asked as the waitress came back to them.

Once they'd ordered their drinks and food together; Castle and Beckett thinking of the weather; Julia and her sister started to color in the small activity books they'd been given. Meanwhile their parents were looking outside, seeing the snow was falling much the same as it had been when it'd started.

"What about going outside?" Castle inquired, looking at his wife.

"I think we might be able to manage it," Beckett said. "Who knows, it could stop. If it turns into a blizzard though, obviously we're not going to be able to go."

"No kidding," Castle said with a smile.

"I hope it doesn't," Julia replied from across the table, smiling when her parents looked at her. "Then 'lexis won't be able to come."

"That's true but the weather didn't really call for snow," Beckett said, reminding her husband. "So we'll be okay. For now though tell us how school went; but you don't need to tell us about the library again."

Glancing at Eliza who was coloring with her tongue slightly sticking out of her mouth, Julia nodded and said, "It was fun, we did reading in history, now we're reading about Manifest Destiny and people going on the Oregon Trail from the city."

"I bet you're enjoying that," Castle said, not surprised when she nodded. "How was math?"

"The same," Julia said. "Oh, we did get to do word problems today, that was more fun. And in science we learned about trees. Mrs. Watson asked what kind we liked the best and I said the redwoods."

"And now we know where you got the idea to paint the trees for her mug," Beckett said.

"Yeah, she said in the spring we'll go out and get new leaves and make rubbings of them to learn more about them. Today we just did some worksheets," Julia said. "And we learned about the different fir trees they use at Christmas."

"Sounds like you had a lot of fun," Castle said. "I'm still surprised you didn't have homework. But I guess the worksheets you did were that."

"I hope I don't have any tomorrow," Julia said. "I don't want to have homework when 'lexis is here…" She paused then and thought for a moment before she said, "I hope she doesn't have homework either when she comes."

"Me too," Eliza said though she hadn't heard what her sister had been saying. She then said, "My work?"

"You don't have any yet," Julia couldn't help giggling. "And you won't in pre-school. Well, homework that's really hard anyways."

"She's right," Beckett said as the toddler was looking over at them. "What would you two like to do Saturday?"

"Is it supposed to snow?" Julia asked. When her parents both shook their heads, she then said shyly, "C-could I do something with Alexis on my own?"

"Like what?" Castle asked.

"Go hiking?" Julia said.

"It might be too cold for that," Beckett said. "But you two could go for a walk after lunch down the beach."

"But Mommy-" Julia started to protest.

"Actually love," Castle said. "Why don't we let them hike the southern route, it'll be in the sun and if the weather's good they should be okay. And tell them only to hike for about ten minutes?"

"If it doesn't get any colder," Beckett said, smiling slightly at Julia's incredibly hopeful expression.

"And then after you can meet us at the studio!" the little girl cried.

"Why am I not surprised you want to go again?" Beckett said with a laugh. "Why don't you and Alexis go alone, the two of you; for lunch and then to the studio."

"Oh, that would be so awesome," Julia breathed. "I have to ask her tonight." She then said, "What are you gonna do?"

"Play with me," Eliza said.

"We probably will," Beckett said, smiling at the toddler before their shakes were served. After Castle had poured some of the shake that was Julia's into a smaller glass, she said, "We should take her out too but what about Martha?"

"She'll likely be tired," Castle said. "Why don't you think of something your sister might like to do Julia."

Looking a little surprised at the suggestion the little girl didn't respond for a moment before she looked at Eliza. "Maybe… take her to the…" she started to say. "I think you should take her to the studio."

"I think I have an idea," Beckett said. "Why don't we just play with her Saturday? We haven't done that all week, we haven't done it for a while."

"And we could have a little time set aside for art," Castle said as he watched the toddler still coloring her page.

"I think we need to," Beckett said, following his gaze and smiling at their daughter.

"Me too," Julia piped up.

When her family started to laugh, Eliza looked up and giggled happily before she said, "Thirsty, Mommy."

"Not yet, when our food comes," Castle answered for her. "So you want to be an artist with us for a little on Saturday sweetheart?"

"Yeah, paint, lots of paint," Eliza said firmly.

"Here's our food," Beckett said, seeing the waitress coming over. "Now you can drink," she said as she slid the glass with the top she'd secured on it to make it easier for the toddler to drink. "I just hope it melted enough for you to do that."

Eliza picked up the cup, smiling at her big sister whose hand was near it and then she sipped, tasting the ice cream and egg nog and humming in response.

"Here you go," Castle was saying as he slid the plate with Eliza's grilled cheese sandwich that he'd cut for her. "Time to eat," he said as he took the crayons she'd been using.

"We'll do more art tomorrow too," Beckett promised her.

"What kind do you want to do?" Julia asked her sister eagerly.

Castle and Beckett exchanged a smile as Eliza paused with her piece of sandwich halfway to her mouth before Julia was making suggestions; the toddler nodding at each one. Julia then asked their parents about what they would do besides painting and somehow the family nearly planned out what the two would do with Eliza through the meal.

When they had finished and were waiting for Castle to pay, Julia heard the song playing and took her sister's hand; since they were standing next to the table as they'd been impatient to go; before starting to dance. Since the song was a faster 50's one she immediately started doing kicks and flicks, while Eliza merely jumped up and down. They both started to laugh and she suddenly spun her sister until they needed to stop to catch their breath.

"Pretty nicely done," Castle said, smiling as Eliza buried her face into her sister's side as some other patrons applauded their dance. "They agree," he said before the waitress handed him back his card. "Thank you. Okay, let's go," he said, picking up the toddler and swinging her legs out to her squeal of joy.

"You forgot her coat," Beckett said with a smile as she handed it to him. She made sure Julia could put on hers as she got her own and then said, "Your daddy was right, that was a very nice dance. But it reminds me, we need to have a lesson sweetie."

"For what?" Julia asked, knowing what she was talking about already.

"Your mandolin," Beckett replied. "Do you want to?"

"Yes, but what about my guitar? And Daddy's guitar?" Julia asked.

"Yeah, what about mine?" Castle asked.

"We'll do that later," Beckett said to him. She then turned to their oldest and said, "We can have a quick lesson on your guitar too but we should probably wait until after Eliza's asleep."

"Wanna see Mommy," Eliza said quickly.

"Are you sure?" Beckett asked as they were leaving the restaurant. At her nod she smiled and said, "We'll do it once we have a chance back at home."

The snow had stopped while they'd been eating, so Castle and Beckett were able to get back to the house without any problems. Once there they got the flowers into vases and the girls ran to their father, grabbing onto his arm tightly.

"Ow!" Castle said in mock pain though he was pretending to jump with them. "Why are you hurting me?"

"No we aren't," Julia giggled. "What about the letters? We need to send them to Santa!"

"Come on," Castle said, looking at his wife. Since he had told her not to take off her coat; and the girls still had theirs on; he went straight outside to the backyard though he stayed close to the house. "Here are your letters," he said, having grabbed them before they'd gone outside. "Now the best way we can get them to Santa living here on the beach is to light them so they fly to him."

"Castle-" Beckett began warningly.

"You're going to burn them?" Julia asked, her eyes wide.

"They won't be burned, the fire will set them off and they'll go to the North Pole," Castle said reassuringly. "And love, this'll be safe; you just need to keep them away from me."

"Give to Santa, Daddy!" Eliza cried.

"Come here you two," Beckett said. "And remember please that you don't play with fire," she told them firmly.

"I know," Eliza said. "Daddy does."

"Okay, here we go," Castle said, lighting a match. He touched the special paper he'd bought with doing that in mind and with a slight whoosh the letters burst into flames, some papers left floating into the air as he'd thrown it up.

It was then that Julia suddenly started to sing, making the others look at her, though they didn't say anything as her voice rose with the pieces of paper left, " _Light up the sky, with your message fly, with your message_."

"Very apropos sweetheart; it works with the moment," Castle explained. "And now Santa has it,"

"That was so cool!" Julia cried, Eliza cheering next to her. "Now what?"

"Now we need to go inside because I don't know about you guys but I am so cold," Castle said, smiling as the two giggled in reaction to his tone.

After ushering the girls into the house and getting their outer layers off with her husband, Beckett told her daughter, "Go ahead and get your mandolin, I'll grab mine." After Julia had hurried to the stairs she said to Castle, "What are you going to do with her while we're working on the lesson?"

"I was thinking maybe some art now," he said, looking down at Eliza who was watching them.

"You should," Beckett said before she went to their office.

"She's right you know," Castle said. He laughed when Eliza just kept looking at him and told her, "Let's go see what we should do sweetheart," leaning down and kissing the top of her head.

When she entered the family room with her case in her hand, Julia smiled to see her father and sister coloring on a large sketchpad with markers. "Mommy?" she asked them.

"I'm right behind you," Beckett replied before they could. "Come and sit." As she and Julia sat down on the couch and opened their cases, she asked her husband, "When are we talking to Alexis?"

"I'll find out for you soon," Castle replied, getting his phone out of his pocket. He texted his daughter before going back to the picture with Eliza but wasn't coloring for long before the phone on the table shook. "In about twenty minutes," he said, reading the message back from his daughter.

"Good, we can practice for twenty minutes, then after we talk to her go to your guitar," Beckett told Julia. "Okay, so today we're learning the C chord, which you know already on the acoustic but here I'm going to teach you the two finger chord."

Watching her mother place her fingers Julia did the same, waiting for her to say if she had it right or wrong. She smiled when Beckett nodded and then had her trying to strum in a slower pace. She did so and looked at Eliza; smiling again; as the toddler squealed in pleasure at the sound. "So that was good?" she asked when she stopped.

"Very nicely done," Castle said, applauding. He laughed with Beckett and Julia as Eliza tried to applaud too, but the marker in her hand got in the way. "Here," he told her, taking it from her.

"Yay Jules!" the toddler cried as she clapped as hard as she could.

"Thanks Lizzy," Julia said with a smile.

When the little girl was looking at her, Beckett then took her back to the A chord, and had her try to play that and C together which they had to practice for a while. But finally Julia was starting to get it and by then twenty minutes had passed. "Okay, let's put these back-" she started to say as she began to put away her mandolin.

"Play Mommy," Eliza then said.

Beckett hesitated but when Julia added her plea to her sister's she sighed and asked, "What do you want? It needs to be a little quick, because your sister will call soon."

Looking at her little sister, Julia then said, " _Let It Be Me_."

"You're lucky I know to play that," Beckett said, knowing why she'd chosen it. "But it's a slow song."

"That's okay," Julia said quickly.

With a slight nod of her head, Beckett proceeded to play the same song she and Castle had danced to only the night before. She didn't look up from her mandolin as she was playing, needing to concentrate on the chords as it was a song she had only recently learned. But she finally reached the end of it and looking up she said, "It wasn't that bad," to the others teasingly as they were just watching her.

"Oh Mommy," Julia breathed, the first to speak. "I wish George could have heard you play that, he would have loved it."

"I agree love," Castle said. " _You are an amazing musician; we'll need to play that song again_."

"Remember I'm not a professional musician," Beckett said, though she had to wonder why he'd said they needed to play the song again. But as her husband's phone rang she guessed he meant so they could dance to it and she shrugged it off.

Castle turned on the TV and signed into their Skype account when he got to the right input before his daughter appeared on the screen to her little sisters' cries of hello.

"Hey Jules, Lizzy, how're you doing?" Alexis asked.

"Good, we color," Eliza said first.

"And Mommy and I were playing the mandolin," Julia said. "And you should have heard Mommy playing a song just now right before you called, it was beautiful!"

"Maybe she'll play a song at Christmas," Alexis said.

Julia turned back to her mother, smiling widely at her, and then she turned back saying, "Did you see…" before trailing off and looking at Eliza who was still bouncing up and down on the coffee table next to her.

"I did, Kate, are you okay?" Alexis asked, looking back at her stepmother.

"I'm fine," Beckett assured her, not surprised that the young woman had seen the situation at the pond. "And things are wrapped up nicely; everyone came out of that okay."

"I'm glad to hear," Alexis said. "So did you get to spend any time with your mom and Dad today after school?" she directed to the girls.

"Mommy got flowers!" Eliza cried.

"Can we get them?" Julia then asked. "I want her to see them."

"Let me text you this picture Julia took when we got home Alexis," Castle said, sending it to her.

"Oh, how nice… wow, those cherry blossoms are gorgeous," she replied, looking at her own phone on the screen. "Did you two help him pick it out?"

"No, Daddy made it on his own," Julia told her. "And we helped distract Mommy until he had it."

"We did painting too!" Eliza crowed. "Pretty pants!"

"Paints," Beckett said, trying not to laugh at the slip up.

"At the paint your own ceramic place?" Alexis asked. "What did you paint?"

"I made a plate with fishies!" Eliza said. "I wanna show."

"Tomorrow when I come," Alexis promised her.

"So you're coming tomorrow for sure?" Julia asked hopefully.  
"I am. Dad, I'm coming by train this time," Alexis said quickly, looking at him pointedly.

"Great, we'll be there to pick you up," Castle said. "Since we have the chance, Julia doesn't have dance class tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll text you when I'm arriving," Alexis said simply. "So what did you paint Jules?"

"A mug for Mrs. Watson," the little girl replied quickly. "I'll show you tomorrow, it's gonna be my present for her."

"She'll like that," Alexis replied.

"We painted too," Beckett said, seeing Eliza trying to speak and knowing already what she wanted to say. "Your dad and I painted plates as well; we need to figure out what to do with them."

Glancing at his wife for her lie though he knew they weren't telling his daughter about the gift of the vase yet, Castle said, "She's right, we do, but they came out great. I don't know why we didn't go there before."

"'lexis!" Julia suddenly exclaimed as the subject reminded her of something. When her sister asked her what was wrong she said, "Are you gonna do anything Saturday?"

"I wasn't planning on it. I wanted to spend this weekend at home as much as possible. I'll have time for going out with friends there once we're all at home for winter break," Alexis said. "Why?"  
"Mommy and Daddy said we could spend the day together, just us," Julia said, sounding a little anxious.

"I think that's great, we haven't had a big sister day in a while," Alexis replied. "Not since this past summer when we went to the Met together didn't we?"

"No," Julia said seriously, shaking her head back and forth. "But we can go hiking, and then we can go to the studio too and make something there."

"That's perfect," Alexis said. "But you know what I'm as excited about?"

"Tomorrow night?" Julia guessed. She smiled widely when her sister nodded and said, "We are too, we're going to go to a restaurant together?"

"Yep, but I'm not saying which one yet okay? I want to surprise you," Alexis said.

"Do Mommy and Daddy know already?" Julia asked.

"No, but I'll tell them tomorrow," Alexis said, glancing back over at them. "Okay, I want to pack now, because I'm going to leave as soon as my last class is over for the day, so I better go. But I will see you tomorrow, night Jules, Lizzy, I love you two."

"Love you 'lexis," the girls ended up saying at the same time.  
"Night Kate," Alexis said, looking back at her. "Night Dad, love you."

"Love you too kiddo, night," Castle said before the screen went dark. "So love, guitar?"

"Guitar it is," Beckett said, glad he went to the TV so he couldn't see her slight concern. She had to wonder what it was that had made his daughter look more than a little anxious when talking about telling them about the restaurant. But she had to quickly turn her attention to Julia who was hurrying to her and opening the case of her acoustic guitar.

After going back over the chords she already knew, Julia played _Mary Had a Little Lamb_ ; the first song she'd been able to play on the guitar; before they settled down to the new chord her mother was going to teach her, E.

Castle colored with Eliza again next to the two until the lesson was over, Beckett putting away her guitar. "Does she need a bath?" he asked his wife as he gathered the markers and paper to put them away.

"They both do," Beckett said, waiting for the inevitable reaction as she took Julia's guitar to the office.

Squealing, Eliza ran to her sister and asked, "Play?"

"We will," Julia said before taking her hand.

Once Beckett had come back, dropping off Castle's guitar, she led the way upstairs as the girls insisted they'd go up together. Once at the top she ushered them into Eliza's room and to the bathtub that Castle filled for her while she was helping their youngest undress.

"Okay," Beckett said, after they'd cleaned up Julia and Eliza. "Now you two can play, a little longer today since you didn't need your hair washed."

"Are you gonna stay?" Julia asked as it looked like her mother was going to leave.

"I don't have any place to sit," Beckett said. "So I figured I'll let your daddy-" she started to say before she cried out at Castle pulling her onto his lap. "Thank you," she said with a slight laugh as their daughters giggled at them before starting to color with their bath crayons on the wall.

"Not a problem, had to let you know that you did have a place to sit," Castle said, feeling her arm coming around his neck. He placed his hand on her back, rubbing it up and down gently. " _You're not mad at me for the paper are you_?" he asked in a low voice after he looked up at her from the girls.

Turning to look at him, Beckett saw the concern in his eyes and she leaned down, giving him a peck on the lips before she whispered into his ear, " _If you'd had them help light those letters I would have been furious. But it was a good idea; luckily we don't need those lists._ "

" _It's why I had them write on that kind of paper, more magical to send them that way_ ," Castle murmured to her before Julia was calling to them. "You played tic-tac-toe? That's not fair-" he started to say.

"I was the o's," Julia said simply with a smile; as the x had won in the game.

"You helped her didn't you?" Beckett said in amusement as Eliza was running her crayon around the wall in a large circle.

"A little," Julia admitted. "But she has to learn!"

"Keep coloring," Beckett said, smiling. She watched them for a few more minutes, until finally she stood up and together with Castle they got the girls out and dried them off. "We'll come back," she said after she got Julia into her robe.

"Are we reading?" Castle asked her before they could leave.

"A short book," Beckett told him. "Hurry sweetie," she said to Julia before they rushed to her room. She helped her get dressed, not because she needed the help, but because it was quicker. "Okay, brush your teeth and then we'll say goodnight to Eliza," she said once Julia was ready.

Going into Eliza's room once she'd finished, Julia smiled as her little sister was sitting on the bed, yawning widely while Castle was pulling down the sheets. "What are we reading?" she asked eagerly.

"A book we got her at the library," Castle replied, handing it to Beckett. "All about penguins." He sat with Julia on his lap and took the brush his wife handed to him, undoing the French braid there and brushing through the chestnut locks. While Beckett read, he held the little girl on his lap as they listened, watching Eliza as well and seeing her very quickly falling asleep before they got off the bed.

"Someone had a busy day," Beckett said, getting up and letting Julia kiss her sister goodnight.

"Night Lizzy, love you," the little girl whispered, kissing her cheek.

"I love you too sweetheart," Castle said, leaning over to kiss her forehead, running his hand over the top of her head.

"Love you Eliza, sweet dreams," Beckett whispered as she was last to kiss the toddler. She pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead and then tucked her in, smiling as Eliza shifted a little before exhaling a sigh. She then left with Castle and Julia, and when they were down the hall in front of the little girl's room she said, "We're late tonight."

"How late?" Julia asked hesitantly.

"You have twenty minutes tonight," Beckett told her.

"Can we watch something? We have the zoo show," Julia suggested. She was surprised when her mother agreed, but didn't say a word as they headed downstairs, not wanting her parents to change their minds as they sat on the couch together. She watched the show that profiled the Cincinnati Zoo in that episode, watching all the animals eagerly until her mother stopped it. Sighing, she got up with them saying, "Why did we watch it."

"Because you asked; nice try with reverse psychology, that's not quite how it works," Castle said in amusement.

"I'll ask Alexis tomorrow how it does," Julia said with another sigh before they went up to her room.

"Okay, get some sleep," Castle was saying once she was in her bed. He pulled the covers up to her waist before sharing a kiss with her murmuring, "Sweet dreams Julia, I love you."

"Love you too Daddy," Julia replied, smiling at him before her mother came over to her. "I love you Mommy, thank you for today. You too Daddy."

"You're welcome," Beckett said, returning her smile as Castle said the same. She then shared a kiss with her before telling her, "I love you too sweetie, night."

"Night," Julia sighed as her mother tucked her in securely. She watched her parents go to the door and turn off the lights, smiling when the door closed after them. She had to wonder if they'd been able to tell how tired she was but she soon relaxed, closing her eyes to get some rest, feeling relief again suddenly and reliving the afternoon and night with her family before she fell asleep.

Outside, Castle took Beckett to the family room, leaving her there before he headed to the kitchen. But instead of getting coffee, he got eggnog, taking a moment with it before he went to his wife, not surprised she had her guitar in hand already. He hurried to set the glasses down, and got his guitar out its case, nearly a match to hers as he'd bought them new acoustic guitars from Spain two years before. The only difference was that the hole in the body of her instrument was edged with carving that made the wood look like flowering vines. "Okay, so what's first?" he asked to let her know he was ready to begin their lesson.

"First check to see your guitar is tuned," Beckett reminded him. "You haven't played it for longer than Julia." She smiled when her husband groaned but began to check the strings. After he had she took him back through some of the chords she'd been teaching him since he'd bought the guitars. "Okay, so now we should give G7 to Em a try," she told him.

"Why am I going straight to transitioning between them?" Castle asked.

"Because your fingers are longer than hers," Beckett said. "And you know those two chords."

Smiling as he had only said that to annoy her a little, Castle began to play an easier one and two beat before he tried to get to the second chord but his index finger slipped on the second string and he winced at the noise. "Sorry, butterfingers," he said quickly as his wife had winced as well.

"It's alright, I've done the same," Beckett replied, watching him try it again. But when he did the same thing she quickly told him, "Try not to race into the chord. I told you, you don't need to hurry to get it since that makes you trip up."

"Right," Castle said since he tended to do that. He tried again and instead of hurrying to form his fingers in the Em chord, he moved with the beat of his strumming and as usually happened, he managed to get to it. He wasn't surprised when his wife had him do that a few more times until finally he was taking his guitar strap off from around him. "Great session, we'll have to try and do another one soon," he said before she followed him in putting their instruments away.

"Now what?" Beckett asked as he left to put the cases away.

"Wait until I come back," Castle said quickly.

Leaning back with a smile, Beckett glanced over at the Christmas tree, not realizing that she was running her thumb underneath the bands of her rings as she was doing so; too idly occupied with thinking about her gifts to her husband to realize. She straightened up when he came back into the room, watching him grab the cups of egg nog before handing one to her. "Are we having a toast?" she asked as he stopped her from taking a sip by placing his hand on her wrist.

"Yeah, to you and Brad, for saving Christopher's life," Castle said, raising his glass slightly to her.

"And to you for getting me out of Hutchinson's way quickly so she could help Brad apprehend Gaspara before he drowned himself," Beckett replied with a slight smile on her face. She tapped her glass against his and took a drink, almost immediately coughing and putting her hand on her chest.

"Oh, I put rum in it," Castle said, watching her in concern, hand on her back.

"Yeah, I can definitely tell," Beckett said, coughing a little more. "How much rum and what are you planning on doing?"

"Enough rum and I'm not planning on anything," Castle said. When his wife looked at him skeptically he said, "I'm serious, I thought the rum would be a nice nightcap, we can get some rest for tomorrow."

"Pervert," Beckett said though she was smiling at him.

"Yeah, that hasn't made you stop," Castle said as he watched her take another, smaller sip.

Beckett didn't reply to that, merely moving over to him to lean against him when he stopped her. She was about to protest when he hurried over to the lights and turned them off. She couldn't help smile again at that, since all they had for lights were the ones on the tree. "You like to do this every Christmas," she told him as he sat back down and she leaned against him again.

"Of course, you don't?" Castle asked as he put his arm around her tightly.

"I do, I just like teasing you about it because you go back and forth between worrying about not being macho with romantic stuff like this," Beckett said, still smiling.

"And you do tease me a lot," Castle said though he wasn't mad at her for admitting to wanting to tease him.

"Don't stop doing that," Beckett said after they were quiet for a moment. "Wanting those romantic moments."

"Believe me when I say I won't," Castle assured her before he made her sit up with him, taking her cup. He pulled her onto his lap then and he kissed her deeply on the lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pressed his hands firmly to the small of her back as they were slowly flicking their tongues together in his mouth before parting, doing that slowly as well. He looked into her eyes that were reflecting the lights from the tree and tried to speak, to promise her that he wouldn't stop wanting moments with her just like that one but he could tell that she knew already. So with words unnecessary between them again he lowered his head, taking her lips hungrily with his own again, thrilled when she was quick to respond once more.

Feeling her husband's hands rubbing up and down on her back as they were deepening the kiss even further after they'd been at it for a while made a shiver race up and down Beckett's spine, making her end it as she moved away. She pressed her lips against his that time but in a much simpler kiss, pulling away and doing it again for a few more times before she moved her hands from holding onto the back of his head to wrap her arms around his neck. Leaning her head against his she looked over at the tree again and they were silent, listening to the sound of the ocean outside permeate the room.

Unknown to the two, Julia was looking around the doorway at them, watching as they sat together for a while before they started to move. As soon as they had she was racing up the stairs so they wouldn't catch her, just barely remembering to jump over the sixth stair from the bottom as that one creaked. She made it to her room, closing the door and leaning against it as she breathed a sigh of relief. She looked back at her bed and sighed in resignation that time, knowing she needed to get some sleep or she'd have to explain to her parents why she was tired. So she got back under the covers; grateful for them as she was cold since her feet were bare; but instead of lying back, she pushed herself up to the window, lifting one of the blinds to look out on the water.

Seeing the white of the foam in the moonlight, Julia felt relieved after having woken up from what she guessed was a nightmare. She had no idea what the specifics of it had been, only that there was very cold water all around her. She shivered as she knew that had come from seeing her mother on the pond earlier but she was frustrated still since she knew her mother was alright. She then flopped on her back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling though she couldn't really see it until she heard the door opening.

When Julia had run off, Castle and Beckett had decided to head up to their room and to read until they went to sleep. She went with him into the kitchen, leaning against the island as he was rinsing out their cups.

"Someone's up," Castle commented as he looked up at the ceiling at the sound of footsteps.

"Julia," Beckett said with a sigh. "I was afraid of this."

"Me too," Castle said with a slight frown. "But she's not crying is she?"

"I don't think we'd be able to hear her if she was," Beckett replied. "Listen, this is because of what happened to me earlier-"

"And you want to talk to her alone," Castle said knowingly. He smiled slightly at his wife's surprise and said, "I'll go to our room, get changed and wait for you."

"Thank you," Beckett said, taking his hand as they left. "And don't start reading without me," she warned him.

"Of course not," Castle replied before they fell silent as they went up the stairs. He went over to their room but paused when he got to the door, watching her slip into their oldest's room.

"Mommy?" Julia asked in surprise, seeing her.

"Hey sweetie, your daddy and I heard you were up," Beckett said. "You had a nightmare didn't you?"

"Yes, but…" Julia said hesitantly. "I don't remember what it was about except there was cold water."

Sitting on the edge of the bed as the little girl sat up, Beckett said, "Are you worried about me?"

"No, I know you're okay and I told myself that before I went to sleep… but it still happened," Julia said the frustration coming out in her tone then.

"You can't control what your dreams are going to be about," Beckett said gently. "Especially nightmares." She was startled when the little girl got out from under the covers and hugged her tightly, sitting on her lap.

"Do you still have nightmares? About… that house we were in?" Julia whispered, her body tense in asking that.

"Not as much as I used to," Beckett said, relieved that was the case with her Queens nightmares. "And a lot less after I got married to your daddy. What about you? You're not having nightmares about that and not telling us are you?"

"No," Julia said. "I don't remember much, just a house," she said before she shrugged. "I'm glad I don't."

Beckett nodded in agreement before she said, "Do you think you can sleep?"

"Yeah, I'm tired now," Julia said, sounding like she was. "I hope you and Daddy have fun reading."

"You little spy," Beckett said teasingly, tickling the little girl to her giggle. "You're just like him you know."

"That's where I get it from," Julia said with a wide smile on her face. She then grew serious and said, "I love you Mommy."

"I love you too Julia," Beckett said. And with that she helped her daughter lay down before tucking her in securely. They shared a kiss and she left, closing the door behind her as she watched Julia turn onto her side away from her. She went down the hall quickly, checking on Eliza who was sleeping still, before going over to her bedroom.

"Is she okay?" Castle asked, jumping up from one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace.

"She's fine, she didn't really have a nightmare," Beckett said. "At least not one she can remember." She quickly told him what she and their daughter had discussed and she said, "I don't know why it surprises me still we have that connection."

"You're close, which is a good thing," Castle said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, you know I just worry this might have made her grow up too quickly," Beckett replied with a sigh. "But she's still a kid," she said with a smile in recollection of their day.

"She is and we'll make sure she is for a long time yet," Castle assured her.

"I'm going to get changed," Beckett said, wanting to use that as a way to tell him she wanted to leave the subject alone. She kissed him quickly, going to the closet to get into her pajamas there before she slipped into the bathroom while he was waiting for her on the bed.

Castle was reading the back of the book that she was reading and he then realized something, hurrying to get out of bed before going into the bathroom. "I forgot love, sorry," he said when he saw that she already had the band aid on her cheek off.

"It's alright," Beckett said, studying herself. "I think I'll just start wearing a band aid at night," she said, brushing her skin underneath the cut. She turned to her husband as he cupped her other cheek, tilting her head away from him enough so he could clean the wound.

"Do you need me to do anything with your arm?" Castle asked, putting ointment on next.

"No, I'm good," Beckett replied. She couldn't help smiling then and when her husband asked her what was so funny she told him, "You didn't really have to do this."

"I'm aware of that," Castle replied as he set a new band aid over the cut last. "But I don't mind."

"Of course," Beckett replied. She smiled again when he suddenly looked down at her arm, looking at the cut and told him, "It's not that bad, I just wanted to hurry to get back out to you so I'll pass on a bandage for it."

"So you're ready," Castle said as he proceeded to wash his hands swiftly.

"I am," Beckett said, leaving with him for their bed. She got onto her side and waited for him to join her before she leaned against him, wrapping her arms around him. "You're reading this time?"

"I am, I'm surprised you want me to," Castle said. "I don't have much experience with reading non-fiction out loud."

"You can try," Beckett said.

"Okay, who're we on?" Castle asked, flipping the book open to her place. "Ah, interesting, Louis XIV," he said when he read the page. He paused and said, "I don't know, you read this stuff you're going to start thinking about us having affairs."

Beckett looked up at him and asked, "Didn't you just reassure me… just read the book Castle." She had soon discerned that he was kidding, so she pushed him and leaned back against him as he started to read about the French king.

When he got to a mention of Versailles, Castle paused and asked his wife, "You've never been to France have you?"

"No, if I'd been in London longer I would have definitely taken the Chunnel over, but it never worked out," Beckett said. "Have you been to Versailles?"

"I mostly stayed in Paris, but we should go, I've heard it's beautiful," Castle said. "Full of history and possible time travel."

Playfully groaning and tilting her head back, Beckett said, "You just want to go to see that time ripple or whatever you called it, that those two women went through."

"That and like I said, it's supposed to be beautiful," Castle replied, smiling at her reaction. He held her close to him and then continued to read before he came to the first mistress of the Sun King that the book talked about, the Marquise de Montespan.

When he'd read around six pages, Beckett took over for him; something they'd done every so often since they'd returned home from their wedding. She had initiated it with reading a paragraph to her husband, wanting to talk to him about it. But it had become them wanting to have something else to share and because they enjoyed each other reading. When they'd finished the section on the mistress she said, "I have to wonder if those aphrodisiacs actually worked."

"I don't know if they'd work for me," Castle said, grimacing slightly. "But it's an interesting book," he told his wife. "I'm hoping to read the next one after you."

"I'm not surprised," Beckett said as she was putting the book on the nightstand next to her. She then turned around and wrapped her arms around her knees as she said, "Alexis and Martha went to Versailles?"

"That summer after her graduation," Castle said. "They went to Paris, London, Rome, Venice and Berlin."

"I remember," Beckett said, since she'd been with him some nights when the two had called. "So what do you think about repeating that trip?"

"For next summer?" Castle asked. When his wife nodded he thought for a moment and said, "Eliza will only be three."

"If we wait any longer it's going to be unfair for Julia," Beckett pointed out. "And Eliza will be old enough to remember a lot of what we see. So I think we should do it; if you agree though."

"Of course, you know I've been waiting for you to say we could travel more," Castle replied. "So you want to do the exact same that they did?"

"Not exactly, they'll be with us right?" Beckett said.

"And your dad too," Castle replied.

"Okay, then I'm thinking we should go to by country, not city," Beckett suggested.

"And which countries will those be?" Castle asked her.

Smiling, Beckett told him, "I think it's time we went to Spain and time we took the rest of the family to Ireland."

"I had a feeling those two would be the first to come out of your mouth," Castle said with a smile. "Okay, but we'd have to schedule everything around those two because-" he started to say.

"Wait, you didn't let me finish," Beckett interrupted him. "We also have Great Britain and France; though I was thinking maybe we should just cut it down to Paris if we have to, but stay for a couple days."

"That's a long trip," Castle said.

"You don't remember traveling with Alexis at that age?" Beckett asked, knowing he was still worried about Eliza.

"I do… and you're right, she was okay with it though we never traveled like that," Castle said. "So that's three countries essentially, and if we left right after Alexis and Julia get out of school, we'd have two and a half months."

"We have travel books and can look and see how that could work out," Beckett replied. "But we'd have to start making plans now wouldn't we?"

"We would," Castle said. "I'm thinking; let's spend more time in Spain than the other two and maybe we could go to Nice as well as Paris so we see more of France."

"I'm not surprised you suggested that. And I was thinking, why don't we treat this as a preview for future summers?" Beckett asked. When her husband looked at her questioningly she said, "We'll spend another summer going through Spain by itself, Ireland yet another one," there she nearly paused as he got a sudden thoughtful look on his face. "Maybe do the same to Great Britain, but the first two I'm more eager to do that with."

"We could," Castle said with a nod. "Okay, so I think we have our first big family vacation set," he told her. When she smiled and shook her head he then said, "Should we tell them about this?"

"We could Skype with my dad this weekend; when Martha's here," Beckett replied thoughtfully. "Does she have anything Saturday?"

"Not that I remember," Castle said as he thought over what he remembered of the parties his mother was going attend for the holiday season. "No I think we could do it then." He then had to laugh as he told her, "Think of how Julia's going to react."

"Especially when we tell her we're going to Liverpool," Beckett replied. When he smiled at that in agreement she then queried, "Did you ever go?"

"No, never really had the urge to," Castle said. "Which is strange. But now I do."

"My mom always said it's like the Canterbury pilgrimage for Beatles fans," Beckett replied, smiling a little at the memory. "She had wanted to go there once; you know she loved Paul."

"A lot of stuff we need to do there," Castle said. "The museum, Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, Paul's house."

"And we need to get Julia the best camera she's ever had for her birthday," Beckett said then, thinking of all the pictures that they could take on that trip.

"You're thinking of taking pictures yourself aren't you?" Castle asked his wife knowingly.

"Already," Beckett said with a smile as her husband took her hand and pulled her onto his lap. "I find myself itching to take pictures of the country."

"Which one," Castle said.

"Well, all of them of course but in particular Spain," Beckett replied. "And more in particular Carbajales. You've seen my dad's pictures."

"I have," Castle said with a brief nod. "But you know what I've been looking forward to a lot more?"

"Riding there?" Beckett asked.

"All over," Castle said. "Well, now I know we're going to take this trip. But think about it love, riding in Spain, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England…"

"You want to try and ride in all those countries? And you want to go to Wales?" Beckett asked.

"You've seen it in our Great Britain book, so yeah, I do," Castle replied. "I want the girls to see as much of the world as they can."

"Me too," Beckett said, squeezing his hand that had taken hers. She then said, "I'm wondering if we could take Julia riding with us to a few places."

"We can look into it," Castle said. "But I'm wondering, is there anywhere you want to go to in particular in those countries?"

Beckett looked a little surprised at that question and then thought for a moment before saying, "If you tell me the same."

"Agreed," Castle said with a nod.

"Okay, so I guess in Spain…" Beckett said before trailing off. "Madrid," she finally said.

"Me too," Castle replied. "I'm dying to check out the Prado."

"I'd love to see the palace," Beckett said. "And with Ireland, I think I want to go back to the manor."

"That reminds me," Castle said, his memory jolted by that. "Would you like to go there for our fourth anniversary?"

Beckett tried not to smile at that, since he always said the number instead of just 'our anniversary.' And she couldn't believe almost that they were going to be married for that long hearing it. She then quickly said, "Of course. That's where our parents coming along comes in handy. Okay, I'd like to get some sleep, so for Scotland, Edinburgh, plus I'd love to take Julia to the Mull of Kintyre."

"Same for me; Edinburgh; I've been there before," Castle said. "It's a great city but we will go to Glasgow too, maybe Perth if we can work it in."

"Wales I think Snowdonia," Beckett said. "Since you want to ride there." When he nodded in agreement she then said, "And of course Cardiff. And as for England… I think I'd love to just explore London since all I did there was wait for my flight to Kiev."

"Since I've been to London, I think I want to see York," Castle said. "The seat of the Yorks, the other family in the Wars of the Roses."

"We'll have a lot to plan, which we can do later; we have the time," Beckett said, moving then so she was on her knees next to him; close. "And since you mentioned flowers, I should thank you for mine."

"You already-" Castle started to say before he was suddenly kissed. He didn't really care at being interrupted, as his focus suddenly went to wrapping his arms around his wife and pulling her back onto his lap.

Beckett wasn't too startled when Castle kissed her the second time and the third they were crushing their lips to each other's in their eagerness and desire. She felt a sense of elation in his arms and soon was able to discern the room was silent but for the sound of the waves outside and their quick breaths and gasps of air joined that before their lips would meet once more. And they were unable to pull away for long, taking too much joy in that physical expression of their love while they embraced each other tightly, needing to be close and keeping each other warm in the chill of the night.


	13. One To Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song One More Kiss by Paul and Linda McCartney, from the Paul McCartney and Wings album Red Rose Speedway.

"Daddy?" the whisper came out of nowhere and nearly made Castle drop the pan in his hand as he jumped slightly. "Julia… sweetheart, you scared me," he said, looking to see her standing at the entrance to the kitchen.

"Why?" the little girl asked in confusion as she watched him put the pan on the oven and then turn on the burner.

"I thought you were your mom," Castle said. "And I want to surprise her, so thanks for not being her." At her giggle he then asked, "How'd you sleep?"

"Good," Julia said simply. "Are you going to give Mommy breakfast in bed?" she asked eagerly.

"I am and good thing you came because you can carry up the tray that'll have yours and your sister's breakfast on it," Castle told her. "Is she up?"

"No, just me," Julia said, going over to him then. "Whatcha making?"

"Some chocolate chip pancakes; you know your mom likes those," Castle replied. "Want to help?"

"Yes please," Julia said.

"Then grab four plates for me; one of them your sister's; and put them next to the stove," Castle told her. As she was doing that, he poured out the batter for the first pancake, sprinkling some chocolate chips in the circle it made before he got his spatula ready.

Leaning against him once she had the plates, Julia asked, "Are you and Mommy still going to dinner tonight?"

"Yep, you don't need to worry sweetheart," Castle said, flipping the pancake then. "We're really excited to go still."

"Are you gonna dance?" Julia then said as he put the pancake onto the plate and covered it.

"We are, we're heading to a club afterwards, though I don't know think I'm too old now to dance with your mom?" Castle asked teasingly. He chuckled when Julia shook her head no firmly and said, "Then I'll dance with her."

"I wish we knew when Alexis was gonna come for sure," Julia said after a while, frowning.

"It'll be after school, you know her last class finishes at two and by the time she gets here we'll be waiting at the station," Castle said. "By the way," he said, setting a third pancake on the second plate by then. "Do you want us to bring your camera for you?"

"Oh please," Julia said eagerly as she remembered then. "I haven't taken pictures there for a long time."

"Get your sister," Castle said suddenly as he was able to distantly hear the soft patter of little, bare feet at the top of the staircase.

Hurrying out of the kitchen, Julia was able to meet up with her sister and she took her hand, leading the way down saying, "Daddy's making a surprise breakfast for Mommy. But you have to be quiet!" she added hurriedly as Eliza started to squeal.

"I want to see," the toddler said firmly.

"Hey Eliza," Castle said, grabbing her and lifting her up, kissing her cheek. "And for you too Julia since I forgot," he said, kissing the little girl. "What do you think?" he asked, showing them the pancakes on one of the three regular plates.

"Mommy's going to love it," Julia said. "Are you almost done?" she asked as he was making some bacon last.

"Just about, I need to get your drinks and then our coffee," Castle said. He smiled when; once he'd set Eliza down; the toddler had run to her big sister and started to whisper to her, guessing they'd let him know what he'd be putting in the foam for their mother that day. He turned his attention back to the bacon, dishing them out on the plates before going to set the pan aside with the stove turned off.

Watching their father going back and forth between the island where two trays were, Julia and Eliza soon followed him over to the coffee machine and told him what to put in the foam.

"Can you do that," Julia asked him, watching him closely.

"I can but I guess you don't remember, I did that the winter before Eliza was born," Castle replied simply. He got Beckett's cup finished and hurriedly made his own before telling the two girls, "I'm all set."

"We can go?" Julia said excitedly.

"Wake up Mommy?" Eliza added, sharing her sister's tone of voice.

"Yep, Eliza, can you carry your glass of milk?" Castle asked. When the toddler nodded seriously, he handed it to her; making sure before he did the cover was securely on. He then took the smaller tray with two plates on it; one of them smaller than the other; and handed it to Julia. "Okay?" he asked, watching to make sure it didn't weigh too much for her.

"Nope I've got it Daddy," the little girl replied. "Are you going to be able to carry yours?" she asked doubtfully, seeing the two mugs and glass of milk on the tray with two plates.

"Don't worry, go ahead and start going up," Castle instructed them. "But go slowly, both of you."

Beckett, who was still asleep, soon woke up to the sound of whispers and a very familiar giggle. She opened her eyes and sat up slowly, looking to see that her daughters were standing next to her, staring up at her. "Morning you two, how come you got up before me?" she asked them teasingly. It was then she noticed Castle past the end of the bed and looking to him, saw the two trays on the table in front of the fireplace. "Did I sleep until May?" she asked jokingly as she helped Eliza up onto the bed.

"No, it's a surprise breakfast," Julia said, climbing up with her sister.

"From Daddy!" Eliza added exuberantly.

"This wasn't your guys' idea?" Beckett asked.

"No, it was Daddy's, he thought of it and he was already starting to make it when I went downstairs," Julia replied.

"Come here," Beckett said to her husband, gesturing him over with her finger.

Castle quickly did as she asked and was a little startled when she had the girls move over slightly before she pulled hard on the front of his pajama shirt, bringing him down to her. Their lips crushed together and he had a good idea of what she thought of his surprise for her. But since they weren't alone the kiss didn't last nearly long enough for him, soon parting from her at the same time she was pulling back. He breathed out a little roughly almost and said, "You're welcome."

Smiling, Beckett said, " _I know why you're doing this and I appreciate it_ ," since she had guessed it had something to do with the day before and the risk she'd taken in getting the baby away from their killer. " _But tonight_ ," she said, pulling him back to her to whisper in his ear. " _I'll show you my appreciation for you_."

" _I'll look forward to that greatly love_ ," Castle whispered back to her, not surprised Eliza started to shift in impatience a little. He then hurriedly added, " _I'll show mine for you_ ," before he went over to the tray with their plates on it.

"Look Mommy, it's a Christmas tree," Julia said excitedly as Castle gave her her mug of coffee, happy to see her parents so happy at their exchange. Though she knew some Irish and was so close to them she had only heard her father calling Beckett love and before that her mother saying tonight; but that was enough to let her know they were in fact excited for their plans that night.

"It is and again, great job," Beckett said, looking at her husband. "Come here," she said in mock annoyance as he hadn't moved to get the other tray. They kissed again but that one was softer and gentler, though they lingered longer than the previous kiss before they parted and he hurried to the table with her watching him with a smile.

"Why Mommy?" Eliza asked, tugging her mother's sleeve.

"Why what?" Beckett asked a little worriedly, thinking she was asking about the cut on her arm that had become visible with her sleeve sliding down.

"I think she thought you were angry for real, so she wondered why you still kissed Daddy," Julia explained.

"Oh, don't worry sweetie, I'm not mad at him," Beckett said as the girls moved then as Castle was bringing over the tray and setting it on her lap. "I was teasing him." She half expected the toddler to ask why again, or what, but was surprised when Eliza looked eagerly at her cup that Castle was handing her. "How are they going to eat?" she asked, then as he sat down next to her on the bed with the other tray.

"Here, you might need to help her," he told her as he switched his plate with Eliza's. "Julia?"

"I can eat here," the little girl said as sat on her knees, as close to the tray in front of Castle as she could.

Beckett found that with Eliza mimicking her sister she was able to help her eat before they settled down into the meal. She was a little startled out of the silence of the room when Julia suddenly spoke, asking a question.

"Are you going to do school work with Lizzy too?" the little girl said.

"I think we'll take a break today," Castle said, looking at his wife.

"We'll have some things to do with her, so don't worry," Beckett said, understanding quickly that he wanted to discuss that later. "Or do you want her to do worksheets?" she asked teasingly.

"No," Julia giggled. "I was just wondering if you were going to really do art all day."

"We'll do that with you both one day during your Christmas break," Castle said. "Maybe we'll take you two to the ceramic studio."

"That would be good," Julia said eagerly.

"Keep eating, we still need to take you to school," Beckett urged the little girl as she fed Eliza a piece of pancake.

"Mommy, 'lexis?" the toddler asked after she'd finished chewing.

"Later on, I promise," Beckett said, glancing over at the window.

"It's clear," Castle said. "I took a look earlier before I started breakfast."

"Speaking of which, I might have to pay you back," Beckett said.

"Feel free to," Castle said, watching her closely.

"By yourselves?" Julia then interjected, watching her parents staring at each other.

Startled a little at that, Beckett smiled at the girls who were watching them closely and she said, "We'll see."

"You can do that too," Julia said.

"And kiss," Eliza said after drinking her milk. "Like that," she said, pointing to the side.

"Like they were earlier?" Julia asked. When her little sister nodded she smiled widely at her parents; both of whom were looking embarrassed; saying, "She's right."

"Okay, let's talk about our party we're going to together; the four of us," Castle said quickly to change the subject.

"I'm still a little shocked Rebecca's throwing the party," Beckett said. "I wonder if we shouldn't do that now Eliza's a little older."

"We'd have to just invite families and friends," Castle said. "I would hate to imagine people trying to crash the party."

"You're right," Beckett said, knowing he was thinking about the safety of their daughters. "And that leads me to what I was going to say next if you hadn't spoken first; we should have it be a more intimate party. Meaning our closest friends and family."

"Party now Mommy?" Eliza asked before she ate the last of her pancakes.

"No, next year we'll try," Beckett replied. "But we'll invite the Fosters, the Davises and all the others that we know well."

"You realize most of them are families," Castle pointed out to her.

"And you were just saying something about wanting to have family and friends over?" Beckett reminded him.

"Then we're in agreement," Castle said, smiling when she shook her head. "But we'll have a year to plan that out," he said, seeing the girls were watching them. "Okay, so we need to hurry," he said as he glanced at the clock on his nightstand. "Julia?"

"Do you want me to help?" the little girl asked. "'Cause you can help Daddy, Mommy, and I can get Eliza dressed."

"Yes!" the toddler cried in exuberance.

"I guess that's what we're doing," Castle replied, grinning at his wife.

"I think so," Beckett said before she got up with the tray in her hands. She watched as her husband put Eliza down and Julia slid off the bed before she followed them out, watching them go down the hall to the toddler's room. Down in the kitchen she turned to her husband when he'd reached her and said, "You had the same idea I did?"

"See how the Seymours are?" Castle asked. When she nodded he said, "Yeah, but what about Eliza… I mean it should be okay to take her right?"

"It should, she'll have no idea who he is, and you know she likes babies," Beckett said with a smile.

"You're remembering when she first saw Tommy?" Castle asked with a smile as he studied her. "I don't blame you, that was a cute moment," he said, recalling himself as their youngest had held Ryan's son's hand and hadn't let go until they'd left, staring at him closely. "But yeah, let's go after we drop off Julia… unless that's too early?"

"I don't think so and maybe we could walk around downtown after since we're going to be in walking distance," Beckett told him. "For now though…"

Castle nodded, and with her help he managed to clean up their plates and utensils quickly before they headed back up to their room. He watched his wife change quietly and when she turned to him he said, "You're not going to believe me, but I swear I wasn't checking you out."

"Actually I do believe you," Beckett replied with a slight smile on her face. "Open the door," she told him then as she went over to the bathroom.

At first Castle was a little confused until he just barely heard giggles outside the door, realizing that the girls were close. He went over and opened the door for them saying, "Nice, I wondered how you'd do Julia."

"You know I can get dressed by myself Daddy," the little girl said in slight exasperation.

"Of course you can, what I'm talking about is taking complete care of your sister," Castle said. Since his hair was already combed he picked Eliza up saying, "We'll be right back."

"Mommy?" Julia asked as she went over to the bathroom door then. She saw her mother was putting her hair up into a ponytail and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I am, it's better when you let cuts get fresh air," Beckett replied, smiling at the little girl's reflection in the mirror as she looked at her exposed cut. "I'm wondering if I should cover it up for tonight though. Think I should?"

"Will Daddy think it's ugly?" Julia asked, wondering why that thought had never occurred to her and suddenly scared that was the case.

"No," Castle said suddenly from the doorway. "She's getting there love."

"Good, because she needs to be before January," Beckett replied. "So I can't really cover this up with makeup."

"And that affects our night how?" Castle said, wondering if his wife was really concerned about that. But when her eyes glanced down quickly towards their oldest, he followed and saw that she looked anxious. He smiled and said, "It doesn't at all, I'll be happy to escort you, cuts and all." He wasn't surprised to see Julia's relieved expression and he then reminded her, "I have this too after all," fingering the bruise on his jaw that was starting to change colors by then.

"We'll be an interesting pair," Beckett said in amusement. "Okay, you two need to get your hair brushed before we can leave. I think we'll have to settle for leaving it alone today; just brush it."

"That's okay," Julia said quickly. "I wanted that anyways."

Taking her hand, Beckett led the way to Julia's room and there she brushed both her daughters' hair while Castle stood next to the bed watching them. "Making sure I do a good job?" she asked him wryly as she was nearly finished with Eliza's hair.

"Oh of course," Castle said. "I have to supervise something once in a while." He grinned when Beckett shot him a look and said, "And our girls look fabulous for school and for a day out. Let's go."

"Where are you going out?" Julia asked as they left her room to go down to the entry.

"We're going to take a walk with her since it's not too cold today," Beckett said as she and her husband were helping the girls with their shoes; already having theirs on. "Around downtown, is that okay?"

"Why are you asking me that?" Julia asked with a little smile on her face as she stood up from the bench. "I don't say if it's okay, you and Daddy do," she insisted.

"We thought you might be jealous," Castle answered, picking Eliza up.

"Oh no, I did stuff with you and Mommy before she was born and now too sometimes," Julia said. She then smiled and said slyly, "If you want to be fair then you should maybe take me with you alone."

"You're too much like your mom," Castle said with a slight laugh as Beckett was handing their oldest her backpack.

"I'm kidding," Julia said with a laugh. "I bet Alexis will want to walk around with me tomorrow, so it's fair."

"Since we have that set let's go," Beckett said firmly. She followed the others out, closing and locking the door behind them. She then remembered something and told her husband as the girls were walking ahead of them, "She must have had a great night."

"When we come back I'm sure she'll be there," Castle said. "If you want to do something, just the two of us."

Shaking her head Beckett told him, "I'd rather spend time with Eliza; as much as we can since we'll be alone tonight."

"I almost forgot," Castle said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"No you didn't," Beckett told him wryly.

"No I didn't but I wanted you to know I'm looking forward to us having some time alone. Much later of course," Castle replied.

"Of course," Beckett said when they then reached the Foster's home. "Hey, you're coming again," she said, seeing Rebecca with David and Mari.

"I am, I managed to convince him I need to take advantage of the weather. And yesterday I didn't feel that much fatigue," Rebecca said. "So let's hurry and go!" she said as the three girls were standing on the sidewalk ahead of them, looking back.

With a laugh, the three held hands and walked ahead of the adults, Julia and Eliza telling Mari all about the evening before until they reached the school and had to split up. Before they could though, Castle and Beckett stopped Rebecca and David from taking their daughter to the third grade classrooms, remembering they had to let them know about their plans.

"Is someone going to be able to pick up Mari later?" Beckett asked.

"Alexis is coming for the weekend, by train," Castle explained to the Fosters who looked surprised at that. "We're going straight to the station after we pick up Julia to wait for her."

"I can get her," Rebecca said.

"We can give you a ride since we'll be driving," Beckett said. She then said, "Actually, we could drop her off."

"Do you know what time Alexis is arriving?" David asked.

"Not really, just that it'll probably be around three," Castle said, thinking the schedule over in his mind.

"Well, you don't have a booster seat for her in the car. Plus there's not enough room for everyone with Eliza's car seat," Rebecca said. "But if you could give me a ride to the school, that would be nice."

"We'll be in front of your house at two twenty," Castle told them.

Since they'd already said goodbye, the two families split up and Castle and Beckett took their daughters upstairs to Julia's classroom.

"Pay attention in class sweetie," Beckett said, looking her daughter in the eye after she'd said goodbye to her little sister. "I know you're excited about Alexis coming but you need to see if you have homework."

"I know Mommy, I'll be good," Julia said, hugging her tightly around the waist. "I know I have to wait for the train anyway."

"Alright, I love you sweetie, have a good day until we see you," Beckett said, sharing a kiss with her.

"Love you Mommy," Julia said before going to her father. She hugged him and said, "Do I have to do what she said?"

Rolling her eyes as the two liked to tease her with that, Beckett said, "Not fair to trap your dad like that, you know he loves us both too much to say no."

"She's right, that's cruel," Castle said, making their youngest giggle. "But when it comes to school you know I agree with your mom. So yes, you need to pay attention but I know you'll do that already. Have a great day and I'll remember your camera," he said before leaning down to share a kiss with her.

"Thank you Daddy! I love you," Julia said, hugging him again when he stood straight.

"Love you too sweetheart," Castle said. Saying goodbye to the little girl with Beckett and Eliza he then picked their youngest up and said, "Should we go now?"

"We'll reach the Seymours before downtown," Beckett replied.

"Okay, so, we're going to see some friends of ours," Castle directed to Eliza.

"Who?" the toddler immediately asked.

"You'll see when we get there," Beckett replied as they waved to the Fosters in the entry to the building. She then made sure the hat that Eliza was wearing was secure on her head before she slipped her hand through Castle's arm, holding onto the upper part of it as they headed in the opposite direction of their house. The walk was quiet, though it wasn't as cold as it had been; the snow from the night before long since having disappeared; but she and her husband were more focused on getting to the house than anything else. When they reached it she murmured, "Hard to believe we were just here yesterday," relieved there didn't look to be any police tape on the door.

"They wrapped things up quickly," Castle couldn't help commenting as they were walking up to the front door.

"You know how Brad works," Beckett said simply. She rang the doorbell and said, "I hope they don't mind this."

"Ms. Beckett, Mr. Castle, please… oh, you have your daughter," Mrs. Seymour said in surprise as she opened the door to them.

"We're sorry but we just dropped off our oldest at her school and while we were heading downtown we decided to see if we could check on you, to see how you're all doing," Beckett explained.

"That's more than alright and very kind of you," Mrs. Seymour replied, smiling. "Come inside please, your daughter can warm up a little."

"Mom?" Seymour said, coming into the entry then. "Is it okay? Ms. Beckett-"

"Kate," Beckett said quickly with a smile as she saw Christopher was in the woman's arms.

"Kate, Mr. Castle-" Seymour said.

"You can just call me Richard, less formal," Castle said. "We wanted to see how you three were doing. Especially Christopher."

"I hope it's okay we have our youngest daughter with us," Beckett said. "We took her sister to school just now."

"That's more than alright, please, come inside," Seymour replied to that.

"We just wanted to stop for a moment, we're sure you're resting," Beckett said, going over to her then and looking at the baby closely.

Setting Eliza down as she was wriggling in his arms for him to do that, Castle turned to Mrs. Seymour and asked, "How are you doing?" in a low voice as he glanced over to see Seymour handing the baby to his wife.

"He's doing well, he's basically back to his normal self after yesterday," the mother was saying, fixing the blanket he was wrapped up in. "I find it hard not to wrap him in blankets, I still feel like he's cold."

"I know how you feel, I nearly did that for Eliza when she was first sick," Beckett replied, nodding to the toddler who was looking up at them anxiously.

"I wanna see Mommy," Eliza told her mother.

"Here," Beckett said, leaning over slightly so she could peer at the baby.

Tilting her head to the side, Eliza smiled when Christopher yawned and then said, "Thank you."

"So we're doing well as you can see," Seymour said before she noticed the toddler was tugging on her mother's coat.

"Thirsty Mommy," Eliza said plaintively.

"I can get her some water," Mrs. Seymour said then, having heard that.

"I'll take her love," Castle told his wife before he took Julia's hand and led her over to the kitchen after the woman.

Turning to Beckett, Seymour studied the expression on her face as she studied the baby and she smiled saying softly, "I've seen that look before."

"Look?" Beckett asked as she looked up, slightly startled at that.

"Yes, you're planning on having another?" Seymour asked. She then stopped smiling when she noticed that Beckett looked to be shocked and hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, that's presumptuous of me but I've seen that look on girlfriends' faces, so I thought… I'm sorry."

"No it's okay," Beckett said, slightly surprised. "But no, we have two daughters and we're happy with them."

"Okay, we got her some water, so she's ready to go," Castle said, coming out into the entry as his wife was handing the baby back to Seymour. "Whenever you want to go love just say."

"Now is fine," Beckett said. "And we were serious about you contacting us."

"We might see each other sooner than you think… maybe," Seymour said, sharing a look with her mother.

"I think you should, I told you I'd watch Christopher," Mrs. Seymour replied.

"Brad and Lily invited me to their party over at the station downtown in two weeks, I think I might accept the invitation," Seymour told Castle and Beckett. "I'm just not sure if I want the attention I'm sure to get after what happened."

"You know the party is for everyone from the station and close friends of the Davises?" Castle asked. When the woman shook her head he said, "They'll be more concerned about you, your mother and son."

"I hope," Seymour said. They walked to the door then and she told them, "Stop by again if you'd like, we wouldn't mind."

"Will you be okay?" Beckett asked, trailing behind the others with her.

"I think so; I miss the Alan I married desperately but…" Seymour replied, looking down at her son. "I lost him a long time ago, so I'd like to focus on Christopher now."

Nodding, Beckett stepped out of the house with Castle and Eliza, the toddler waving goodbye to the three in the doorway over her father's shoulder. She reached up and took her hand before saying, "You liked seeing Christopher?"

"Yeah, pretty baby," Eliza replied before she was suddenly put on her father's shoulders with a squeal.

" _How is she doing_?" Castle asked as they walked towards downtown.

" _Pretty well considering she misses her husband; as he was before they worried about having a baby_ ," Beckett said, trying not to falter saying that. She shook the thought that passed through her mind and then told him, " _But she's going to focus more on her son now, like she said_." She studied her husband then as he looked thoughtful and she finally asked, "What are you thinking?"

"No, just wondering if at that party anyone would try and set her up," Castle said. He shuddered and said, "I hope not."

"I don't get the feeling Lily; or Brad for that matter; would let them," Beckett pointed out.

"You think they'd protect her?" Castle asked.

"I think so," Beckett said. She then said, "I wonder if she's hesitant about going to their place since they were her neighbors."

"Well, you heard what Brad said, Fern's mother is already preparing to sell it," Castle reminded her. "And I think it stopped being Nesta's home a long time ago."

Nodding in agreement at that, Beckett watched as they stopped at the main part of the downtown area and looked down the street. "So how will we do this? And more importantly-"

"Richard, Kate," a voice called behind them. "And Eliza, hello kiddo."

"Mother, you're awake," Castle said teasingly as they turned to his mother.

"Of course I am," Martha said, walking up to them. "I'm having brunch this morning with the Lawsons but I didn't expect to see you here. How is Julia?"

"She's fine, excited to see Alexis," Beckett replied as she watched Castle take their youngest from his shoulders and give her to her grandmother.

"As am I but I won't be able to join you in the car will I?" Martha asked as Eliza leaned her head against hers.

"No, but you could take the girls to the station on Sunday, Kate and I can stay home," Castle suggested.

"We'll see how things go," Martha said. "So, why are you here?"

"We stopped by the Seymour's place," Castle explained. "To see how they were and we decided to do a little window shopping with Eliza since the day is so nice."

"I agree it is," Martha said. When one of the couple waiting on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant behind her called, she turned and waved to the man. "Alright, enjoy your time, I'll be home at around one," she said before she handed Eliza to Beckett.

"You don't want to join us after?" she asked her mother in law.

"I think she wants to rest a little before Alexis gets here," Castle said. "You must have had some night Mother."

"Oh, you'll be the same tomorrow after your night out I'm sure," Martha said simply. " _Ciao_."

"So you don't mind her as a mother in law right?" Castle asked his wife jokingly.

"I would have mentioned that long, long ago Rick," Beckett said, shaking her head. "Okay, so do you want to walk my little girl?"

Giggling at that, Eliza said, "Yes, please." In between her parents, she held their hands tightly and then looked up at her mother with a slight frown saying, "Pictures Mommy?"

"I'll see," Beckett said, since her camera was in her pocket, making it bulge and weighing down her coat a little.

"I've got her love, I can see your fingers twitching," Castle said.

"They're not, but since you offered," Beckett said simply as she got her camera. She took a picture of a jewelry store's window as they passed, then some of the garlands hanging across the street before a light post with the garland wrapped around it.

"See, Mommy!" Eliza said, pulling on her father's hand to look at the screen.

"What do you think?" Beckett asked, watching her.

"Good," the toddler said firmly, accompanied by a little nod of her head.

"I think I should get you another camera love," Castle said. "That one's going to be four years old next year," he added when she looked at him.

"That's not really that old," Beckett protested. "And it's reliable too Rick, I wasn't serious about that last night."

"Why don't we do this," Castle said. "I'll wait until next summer and you can give that camera to Alexis after I buy you a new one. You know she's always liked that camera."

"Why Daddy?" Eliza suddenly asked.

"You'll see later," Beckett promised, since she didn't want to explain about the trip she and Castle had been thinking of the night before. "But would Alexis really want a used camera?"

Castle was about to say yes when he realized she had a point and said, "Okay, maybe not but I still want to get you a new camera. It's been on my mind for a while now."

Sighing Beckett said, "Let's wait until we get close to the… summer okay? And then we'll talk about this again."

"Fine with me," Castle said, opening the door of the shop that she'd just taken a picture of their display window. "Here's a good place to stop," he said as Eliza was already pulling on his hand to make him go inside.

Beckett smiled at that, and followed him into the bookstore saying, "Were you planning on buying something?"

"Not really but if something catches your eye let me know," Castle replied. "We'll be in the kids' books," he said as Eliza was still pulling on his hand.

Watching them go, Beckett looked at her camera and then around the shop before she made a decision, doing something she'd wanted to many times before but had never been able to do; asking the person at the register if she could take pictures of the interior of the store. Getting that permission she hurried down the shelves and began to take shots of the old fashioned shelves before she was with her husband and daughter, taking photos of them before Eliza called her over to see the book in her hand. Slipping her camera in her pocket she went over to them, taking her in her arms as the toddler kissed her cheek in response while she sat next to Castle.

* * *

"Hey, I wasn't sure if you two were serious about the ride," Rebecca said as she climbed into the backseat of the car.

"We were running a little late, someone got tired after our excursion downtown," Beckett said, smiling back at her friend as she pulled away from the curb. "She wouldn't wake up."

"Interesting, that must have been some excursion," Rebecca replied. "So I'm guessing you had fun Eliza?"

"Yeah, Mommy got pictures," the toddler replied. "'lexis?" she asked her parents.

"Soon," Castle assured her. "She won't be here for another half hour, so you'll see Julia first."

"Are you going to come with us?" Beckett asked as she parked at a free spot down the street from the school, facing the way they'd need to go to the train station.

"I think I'll stay here with Eliza, that way we don't have to get her out and then back in," Castle said.

"I'm sure Julia will have enough time to take pictures of the station," Beckett said wryly, since their daughter's camera was in his hands. "And you know, maybe she'll like my camera if you still insist on getting me another for the summer," she commented before she stepped out of the car after handing him the keys.

"What's that about summer?" Rebecca asked as her friend walked around the car to the sidewalk.

"We decided last night to go to a few countries," Beckett told her with a smile. "Spain, Ireland, Great Britain and a little of France."

"Wow, that'll be some trip, in a short amount of time," Rebecca said.

"Well, we're probably not going to spend that much time in each place; except for the first two," Beckett explained.

"That would help, do they know?" Rebecca then asked, gesturing back to the car with her head.

"No, we're going to try and tell them this weekend now Alexis is here; though we're going to have to Skype with my dad to tell him," Beckett said. "But we're going to. I just hope Eliza will like it."

"She will, she'll be three by the time you go, much more aware," Rebecca said. "And whenever you figure out where you're going, tell me." She then paused and said, "Your anniversary is going to be during that trip; your fourth."

"We already planned that one," Beckett said, smiling as she knew already; from her friend's tone of voice; that Rebecca was expecting them to have done that. "You remember the Adare Manor right?"

"Can't forget it," the woman said. "You're going back there? Lucky."

"You were just there," Beckett said with a laugh, as Rebecca and David had gone to the manor after being told about it by her and Castle. "We haven't been there since our honeymoon."

"Are you going to go back for the fifth?" Rebecca asked quickly as they were starting up the steps to the school grounds.

"I have no clue, I'd rather get to our fourth anniversary first," Beckett replied. By then they reached the elementary school building and she hugged her friend tightly before telling her, "If I don't see you, have a great weekend."

"You too. Remember, I want that itinerary if you go; to get ideas for us after the baby is a few years old. You two always find great places to go," Rebecca explained.

"The second I get it you'll see," Beckett replied with a smile. After telling her to be careful, she rushed up the stairs to Julia's classroom, seeing she was just coming out. "Hey," she said to her daughter's surprise.

"I didn't think you'd come Mommy," Julia said before her surprise turned to delight. She hugged her and asked, "Did you hear from Alexis yet?"

"She'll be here a little after three," Beckett answered, ushering her down the stairs. "And your daddy has your camera, so let's go."

Going out to the car, Julia went to Castle in the passenger seat, hugging him and kissing his cheek in greeting before she went to the back and kissed her sister's cheek before their mother drove to the station. She took a few pictures out the window on the way and her excitement built up as she saw the familiar building. Once inside she followed her father to the old fashioned timetable and took some pictures before doing the same with the room, trying to get shots of the details in the architecture. She then turned back to her mother and sister, taking pictures of Eliza as she was jumping up and down next to Beckett. "I think Lizzy's excited."

"Most likely," Castle said. "Hold on," he told the little girl before she could walk to the left where there was an old waiting room that wasn't really used but was the one place where Julia loved taking pictures as it still had its original décor. "Her train is a little late, a few minutes," he told his wife when she'd reached them with Eliza.

"Alright, take her through until then," Beckett said. "And Julia," she told their oldest, turning to her.

"I know, I'll be good Mommy, I promise," Julia said, looking up at the ceiling.

"Come on," Castle said, taking her hand and pulling her over to the waiting room. There he stood in the entrance; since that was the only way in or out; and told the little girl, "Go ahead and go crazy." When she looked at him he laughed slightly and said, "You heard me. I know you're only going to go crazy with that camera anyways, so go, take pictures until your fingers fall off."

"Ew Daddy, that's gross," Julia said, wrinkling her nose though she was laughing slightly. She then tugged on the arm of his coat until he was leaning down and she kissed his cheek before she told him, " _Thank you_!" rushing over to the opposite wall first as there was a large mural there.

"Go crazy?" Beckett asked in amusement as she walked up behind Castle as she let Eliza go to run the best she could after her sister.

"Oh you heard that?" he asked, looking back at her.

"I might have," Beckett replied, a smile still on her face. She looked down at Castle's hand that joined hers and told him, "I get the feeling she's going to spend most of her time in here," as they turned their gazes to their daughters, Eliza at the wall, touching the skirt of a woman waiting on a station platform.

"More than likely," Castle said. He then turned to his wife and asked, "Are we going to have enough time with them before you need to get ready?"

Giving him a slight look Beckett replied. "I don't need that much time. So yes, we'll have enough." To distract him from making a smart ass comment to that, she wrapped her arms around him and told him, "I wonder where Alexis is taking them."

"I have an idea of where already," Castle said.

"I think I do too," Beckett said with a laugh. "I just hope Eliza will enjoy it, since that's more a favorite place of Julia's."

"She will, she'll be with her sisters," Castle said, smiling with his wife as they watched Julia spin Eliza, making her do so again before she took pictures of her.

After the half hour they waited, the two gathered their daughters and took them over to the doors leading to the platforms. They watched as the people from Alexis' train came out first, the girls trying to find their big sister in the crowd.

"There she is! Alexis!" Julia suddenly cried before she took off at a run and then threw herself at her.

"Hey Jules," the young woman said with a slight laugh, staggering back a little at the force of that hug. "I'm glad to see you too. You and Lizzy," she said, letting go of her suitcase to pick up her youngest sister who'd joined them. Kissing her cheek she then said, "We'd better keep moving," as the others on the platform had to go around them.

"I can take it," Julia said quickly, talking about her sister's suitcase. She pulled it after them as they went back to where their parents were waiting and said, "She's here!"

"We saw," Castle said before he hugged Alexis tightly around Eliza. "Good trip?"

"It was," Alexis said with a smile. "Happy to see me?"

"Oh I am, don't worry, but I don't think I'm as glad as your sisters," Castle commented as his wife hugged her then.

"Welcome back," Beckett said. "Let's go, because your grandmother is anxious to see you too."

"Again, probably not as much as your sisters," Castle said as he looked over at Alexis, seeing Julia holding her free hand tightly with both of hers.

Back in the car, the drive to the beach house seemed to go a lot quicker than it was, as Julia and Eliza were telling their sister about what they'd done that day at the same time until finally Castle was turning the car around in the driveway.

"Alexis, welcome home," Martha said, coming out of the front door with a shawl wrapped tightly around her. "I would have come but the car was full," she said.

"Hey Gram, how are you?" the young woman asked.

"Doing very well, and glad to see you," Martha said as she led her granddaughters inside. "Though I have a party tonight unfortunately, so we'll try to catch up later tomorrow."

"Of course, there's always Sunday, I'm going to leave late…" Alexis was saying as they went into the house.

"You're not going with them?" Castle asked his wife as he locked the car from the trunk.

"They need to catch up with her," Beckett said. She walked with him into the house as he pulled his daughter's suitcase and when they were inside was a little surprised to see Alexis waiting for them there.

"You okay?" Castle asked at the expression on his daughter's face.

"Yeah, is it okay if I talk to you?" Alexis replied.

"You don't want to unpack?" Castle asked instead of answered.

"I can do that later. Be- Kate, you can come with us, I'd like you to be there too," Alexis said.

"Sure, why don't we head into the living room," Beckett said, able to tell that her stepdaughter was a little nervous as she only slipped up and called her by her last name when she was. She led the two over to the room and closing the door she sat with Castle on the couch as Alexis sat across from them on the smaller love seat.

"Okay, I… had a speech all set for this but I think I should just say it right out," Alexis said, laughing shortly, almost forcing herself to say it.

Castle drew in a deep breath, about to open his mouth to speak when he felt his wife gently squeeze his arm to stop him. Looking at her, he saw her calm expression and he beat back the urge to talk, looking at his daughter again.

"I have two years left to get my PhD after this one is over," Alexis said. "And I… I've applied to Oxford and was accepted yesterday."

Though the news was not what he'd thought; that his daughter was in some kind of legal trouble; Castle was still stunned, and he then realized that his wife was staring at him as well. "I… you've always talked about going there," he said, having to think a moment about that.

"Yeah and I'm going, it's a great opportunity Dad," Alexis said, rushing to the couch and sitting on his other side. She took his free hand; as Beckett was holding the other; and continued saying rapidly, "I'll come back every holiday that I possibly can and after those two years I'll come home too because-"

Squeezing his daughter's hand firmly to stop her, Castle smiled at her and pulled her into a hug as his wife let go of his other hand. "I hate the idea of you so far away. But I know it's what you've wanted and you will get a great education there. Plus you are an adult, so I couldn't really stop you from applying. But you better believe you'll come back after those two years."

Laughing slightly; as she knew her father was kidding by his tone; Alexis hugged him tightly saying, "So you can accept this?'

"I can, I don't have to like the distance part of it but the education part trumps everything else," Castle said firmly. "And I want you to get the best you can." He then paused and pulled away asking, "When do you have to move in?"

"Term starts on October eighth. Diana is coming with me, Padma too," Alexis said. "Though her major is art. We'd like to get a flat together so we need to do that. But we were talking about it and we think we'd like to move in around the beginning of September, to acclimate ourselves to England, though we've all been there before."

"Living there is different of course," Beckett commented.

"What do you think?" Alexis asked her, a little surprised that she hadn't really reacted to the news.

"I expected this but I thought you were going to go to Stanford, I wasn't expecting you to head in the other direction," Beckett said with a smile. "We'll miss you though, the girls especially. And you know your dad and I are wondering if you maybe push back the move in date to around the last week of August?"

"Why?" Alexis asked in confusion as her dad looked at his wife with the same expression she was feeling on his face.

"What? Oh, actually, we should," Castle said after he and Beckett had looked at one another for a few seconds. "Now?"

"What are you two talking about?" Alexis asked as she jumped up with them.

"Girls, Mother, come here," Castle said as he went toward the kitchen.

"He can talk now," Beckett told her husband as they went into the family room with Alexis behind them, reading a text on her phone. "It must be a slow day at work. Oh, Alexis, you never answered my question-"

"Maybe," the young woman said hurriedly as Martha came in after the girls.

"What's going on?" Castle's mother asked.

"We're having a family meeting," he replied. "Jim too- hello Jim," he said as Beckett's father appeared on the screen.

"What's going on? Why a family meeting?" he asked his daughter and son in law.

"First…" Castle said, nodding to Alexis.

Looking at the others, the young woman breathed in and then said quickly, "I've been accepted to Oxford, for the next two years for my doctorate."

"That's good!" Julia said before she suddenly stopped. "Where is that? Isn't it in England?" she asked, her voice becoming higher in pitch. She ran to her and threw her arms around her sister crying, "We won't see you!"

"You will," Beckett said, going over as Julia buried her face into her sister's side. "It's a great opportunity for her," she said, gently pulling her away and then Eliza who had hurried over to hug Alexis.

"And you're going to live there aren't you?" Julia asked, feeling tears flood her eyes.

"I am," Alexis said, a little sadly. "I'm sorry Jules, but… like your mom said, I could be a great doctor going there. And I'll come back between the terms; they're long; I promise."

"Do you stay?" Eliza then asked.

Startled that the toddler seemed to understand what they were talking about, Castle quickly said, "She'll come home, I made her promise."

"Congratulations darling," Martha said, going over to her granddaughter then and hugging her tightly. "But we will miss you terribly."

"I know Gram and I will miss you all, and coming here especially to see my little sisters," Alexis told them.

"I'll add my congratulations to theirs," Jim said. "But what's the other reason for the meeting?"

"Last night Rick and I decided that we want to take a family vacation next summer," Beckett said.

"To England?" Alexis guessed.

"Great Britain," Castle corrected. "But first Spain, then Ireland and if we can work in it Paris and Nice."

"We're going to go all over there?" Julia asked with a joyful gasp. "All of us?" When her parents nodded she squealed, jumping up and down saying, "When?"

"As soon as you two finish up school," Beckett answered. "And we'll help you move in Alexis, so Oxford will be last."

"I'd like that," the young woman said, having thought just her father would move her in at the beginning of September since her sisters would be in school by then. "A lot in fact. And you know with me in England we can take trips around Europe."

"I have a feeling your dad's already thought of that," Beckett said. "What do you think?" she asked Martha.

"Well of course I'd like to go," Martha replied quickly.

"And me as well," Jim said.

"It'll cut into your Spain trip," Castle said, looking at the TV with the others.

"Don't worry about that," Jim said. "I've gone to Spain so many times before I can take a little break. Plus I would like to be with my granddaughters when they first see Ireland."

"And Spain too?" Beckett said, surprised that her dad hadn't mentioned that country first.

"And Spain. But you have to understand I haven't forgotten I'm Irish Katie," Jim said with a smile. "This'll be my first time in the home country as my dad said his parents called it."

"Mine as well, my grandmother called it that," Martha said. "So where are we going exactly?"

"You and Kate should plan everything out," Alexis said before anyone else could say anything. When her dad and Beckett looked at her in surprise she said, "I'm serious, you know where to go."

"Interesting places?" Beckett asked. When her stepdaughter looked at her in slight confusion, she added, "Rebecca wants to know our itinerary as we seem to know where to go. Okay, so we'll start working on it now since we're not going to be asked to assist the PD. Once we get it planned, we'll let you know where we're going. But-"

"If any of you have a place you'd like to go, tell us and we'll add it in," Castle finished for her.

The meeting then became a regular Skype session, as Jim asked his granddaughters; including Alexis in that; what they'd done that day. And when he asked about their plans that night, the young woman revealed to Castle and Beckett that she wanted to take her sisters to the Irish restaurant that Julia loved; as they'd guessed earlier. After hanging up with Beckett's father and the girls had shown their sister her vase which she loved, there was a little bit of a rush to prepare the girls for dinner, since Beckett wanted Julia to take a shower while Alexis bathed Eliza. But finally they were getting dressed with their big sister's help and she could head to her room where Castle was pulling on his blazer.

"My mom's in her room, getting ready though it's a little early," he told his wife. "So we might not see her for a while tomorrow."

"I'm sure she'll be back sooner than you're thinking; Alexis is here remember?" Beckett said simply before she disappeared into their closet, closing the door behind her.

Smiling at the sight of that; since the only time that door was closed was when she was changing into a dress; Castle sat down in front of the unlit fireplace, glancing at the bed for a moment before he went on his phone. When the door to the closet opened a few minutes later he jumped up, and he sucked in a breath of air through his teeth as his wife suddenly stepped out into the bedroom.

At the reaction of her husband, Beckett smiled widely at him saying, "Still."

"Still, you look amazing Kate," Castle said, reaching out to her as she was walking up to him. He made her turn around and said, "Yeah, I'll stick with that, and all the other synonyms of it."

Beckett leaned over and kissed him telling him, "Thank you. I'll be right back out so we can say goodbye to the girls." She walked over to the bathroom, knowing her husband was watching her as she went. In the mirror she looked at herself, smiling again briefly as her choice of what to wear that night had the desired effect. She'd bought it for their trip to Canada but hadn't packed it in the end, deciding to wait and find another opportunity to wear the black wrap dress. It clung to her form, and was a bit shorter on one side than the other, knowing already that Castle had noticed that. She put on some lipstick and satisfied with her appearance she went back out, seeing her husband glancing down at her shoes; the ribbons of the heels tied up just past her ankles. "Ready?" she asked, going straight to him and fixing his tie and lapels though there was nothing wrong with them.

"I could just cook," Castle said, trying not to look down her dress for too long. When his wife gave him a look, he smiled and said, "So I take it that's a no. Come on."

"Wow," Alexis said, by then with her sisters in the family room. "You two look very sharp tonight."

"Thank you," Beckett said as the girls hurried over to her and touched her dress before hugging her on each side. "You two look so sweet and I know you'll have fun with your sister," she told them as she led them over to an armchair, not wanting to kneel in her dress. She hugged them to her and said, "I love you so much Julia, Eliza. Sweet dreams okay?"

"Kay, love you Mommy!" Eliza said exuberantly, throwing her arms around her mother's neck. When she pulled away she shared a kiss with her and smiled as she let go to let her sister hug their mother.

"I love you Mommy, I hope you and Daddy have a lot of fun," Julia said. "And dance a lot too."

"We'll definitely try," Castle said as he watched Beckett sharing a kiss with their oldest. "Okay, so your mom said everything I'm thinking. Have fun and we love you, a lot."

"Me too, I love you Daddy," Eliza said seriously as he picked her up. She hugged him around the neck and gave him a smacking kiss on the lips before he set her back down.

"I love you Daddy, and I told Mommy already, so you heard what I hope you do tonight," Julia said, smiling as he picked her up. She hugged him hard before sharing a kiss with him and she went to the entry with her sisters, their parents and Martha trailing behind them. She felt a shiver of excitement go through her as they bundled up in their outer layers. Since they'd said goodbye to their grandmother already they hurried to the car, Castle and Beckett coming out to the porch to watch them go, waving with Eliza to them as Alexis drove the car down the driveway.

"I am hungry," Eliza said. "Where do we go?"

"The restaurant that's green," Alexis said with a smile, looking back at her sister. "Do you remember?"

"Yes," Eliza said, sounding hesitant about that though.

Pulling into the restaurant's parking lot shortly after since the beach house wasn't too far from it, Alexis got Eliza out and carrying her she walked with Julia's hand in hers to the entrance. After they got to their table; courtesy of their dad calling for a reservation while he'd been in his room; she ordered drinks for them as she knew already what to get them. "Okay," she said after she and Julia had been looking at the menu. "What do you want?"

"The cottage pie," the little girl said eagerly. "What about you?"

"The pasty, what I always get," Alexis said.

"Ooh, Daddy made those the other night, they were really good," Julia replied. "What about Lizzy?"

"The boxty on the kid's menu," Alexis replied. Since the waiter returned to them then, she couldn't talk to her sister about something else, quickly ordering before he left them. "Okay, Julia?" she said, making her sister look up from her activity book. "I know you're upset I'm going, but-"

"No, I know but what about Daddy?" Julia said quickly. "You're worried about him; I can tell."

"I am," Alexis said. "But I think he understands why I want to go." She glanced at Eliza who was sitting on a booster seat next to her. "Does she?" she asked.

"I don't think she does," Julia said, considering the toddler. "She will when we go though and she will miss you."

"I'm glad to hear that. So now that I've talked to you about that I want to hear all about how school went today," Alexis said.

"Will you say how it went for you?" Julia asked. When her sister nodded she smiled and proceeded to let her know all about her day again; that time without her little sister talking to her at the same time; telling Alexis and then Eliza as she looked up from her coloring book to listen too. After Alexis had told her about the two classes she'd taken that day, she said, "I hope Mommy and Daddy are having a good dinner too."

Looking over at their waiter, Alexis said, "You haven't even eaten yet you know," keeping her tone as teasing as she could.

"I know it's gonna be good," Julia said firmly before they started to eat. "Are we gonna have dessert?" she asked suddenly after they'd taken a few bites each.

"You're already asking about dessert," Alexis teased her. "We will, one Dad says you've had before but I don't want you two to stay out for long since it'll be cold, so we're taking it home."

"Play?" Eliza asked then.

"Oh, Lizzy," Alexis said, her tone full of amusement as the toddler's lips were covered in the gravy from her boxty. She cleaned off her mouth and then said, "We will, what do you think about dressing up a little?"

"But we have dresses on now," Julia said.

"We'll change into our pajamas," Alexis said then. "Now eat, so we can go." She watched her sisters to make sure they didn't rush through their food and she leaned over, kissing Eliza's temple before she turned to her own dish asking them about their outing the night before in more detail than she knew already. And as her sisters tried to eat and tell her at the same time she felt a rush of joy being back home with them.

* * *

Watching as Eliza spun around in the skirt of her old Carbajales costume, though she fell down after, Julia said, "Are you tired?"

"No, dessert," the toddler said firmly, standing back up and letting go of the skirt that she'd had to hold up since it was too big on her. She stepped out of it and ran over to the doorway as she could hear their sister coming over to them.

"Alright, after this you're going to need to go to bed Lizzy but we had a lot of fun didn't we?" Alexis said as she put the tray with three cups of Donegal Oatmeal Cream down on the coffee table.

"A lot, a lot!" Eliza said enthusiastically as she hopped from foot to foot as she waited for Alexis to give her her cup. Once she had it in her hands, she kissed her sister's cheek before she sat down with a plop on the floor, eating the concoction eagerly as she remembered eating it before.

"Are you excited to go to Ireland?" Alexis asked as they ate.

"Oh yes," Julia breathed in joy. "I can't wait to see what it looks like, and everything we see." She then smiled and said, "Are you gonna get Mommy and Daddy a present for their anniversary?"

"Yeah, I will," Alexis said. "You're glad they're going to celebrate another one aren't you?"

"I am, are you?" Julia asked teasingly, already knowing the answer to that.

"Yes," Alexis said quickly as she stopped Eliza from trying to stick her hand into her cup.

"What are we going to do after she's in bed?" Julia asked her sister as she watched her clean off the toddler's slightly sticky fingers.

"I think we should calm down and just watch a movie," Alexis told her, cleaning up Eliza's mouth next since she'd finished the little dessert there was in her cup. "Did you finish?"

"Yeah, we can go up," Julia said. "But what about cleaning up?"

"When we come down," Alexis said before she picked up Eliza and led the way up to the toddler's room. She helped her brush her teeth before taking her out to the bed, setting her on it. "Say goodnight you two."

"Night Jules, love you," Eliza said with a smile before she leaned down to reach Julia to share a kiss with her. "Have fun."

"I will," the little girl replied. "And I love you too."

"Love you Lizzy, we'll see you in the morning and your mom and Dad will be here," Alexis said, kissing her.

"Love you 'lexis," Eliza said as she let the young woman tuck her in. She held her stuffed horse tightly and before she could watch her sisters leave, she was fast asleep.

Going downstairs after stopping in Julia's room for her to brush her teeth, Alexis had the little girl help her clean up the family room as quickly as they could but when she checked the time she sighed saying, "I don't think we'll have a chance to watch a movie."

"That's okay, we can just watch YouTube," Julia said. "Or listen to something. Look for _Let It Be Me_!"

"That George Harrison song?" Alexis asked. "How come?"

"I'll say," Julia said simply. She looked at the screen as the song began and mouthing the words she waited until the music was completely over. "I saw them dancing to that the other night."

"It's a good song," Alexis said. "You like the lyrics?"

"I do, sorry, I just like the song a lot," Julia said a little shyly.

"It's good, like I said," Alexis replied. "Now why don't we watch music videos?" she asked, looking at her little sister as she wrapped her arm around her.

"Oh! Yes, let's watch as many of George's as we can now!" Julia said.

Alexis, smiling at her enthusiasm, searched for the song _Blow Away_ and they settled back to watch as she kept her eye on the time, knowing her stepmother was a stickler about the girls getting to bed on time. But she was having so much fun that she nearly went past Julia's bed time. She managed to make it though, tucking her sister in right before it saying, "I love you Jules and I'm so, so happy to be home," as she sat on the edge of the bed then.

"I like that you call this home," Julia said.

"Well you know home for me is my family and since you're here, it's home," Alexis explained. "And when I'm with Gram back in the city, I'm home too."

"You have two of them," Julia said in wonder.

"I know, I do but so do you and Eliza," Alexis told her. "Now get some sleep, we have a huge day out tomorrow, just us big sisters."

"I know, I'm excited," Julia said. "I love you too 'lexis, night."

"Night," Alexis replied before she went to the door, closing it and the lights after her.

Sighing as she was left alone, Julia squirmed a little in her excitement remembering the next day and she closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep as fast as she could. But she couldn't help remember her parents, wondering what they were doing, smiling then as she knew they were probably having a lot of fun wherever they were.

* * *

"So let's have a toast to tonight," Castle said after he and Beckett had their glasses of wine. "And let's hope we'll have a great time."

"We seem to," Beckett said. "Though I'm going to say our time in the club in San Francisco made that night a bit dicier than others."

"Oh yeah, that guy trying to dance with you," Castle said. "Still, let's hope that we dance in each other's arms all night long."

"You've been talking to Julia a lot haven't you?" Beckett asked teasingly as they tapped their glasses together.

"Not really, I just know that's what she'd say," Castle said. "So now that we're here, I'm so glad we made it to tonight."

"What makes you say that?" Beckett asked him. "Are you thinking about the pond again?"

"No, just being glad in a general sense," Castle clarified. "It's been a bit since we've gotten to do this. Or would you count our trip as that?"

"I think I would," Beckett replied simply. "What I'd like to talk about now is this itinerary we're compiling for our family."

"Yeah, we should talk about that," Castle said, sliding over in the booth next to her a little closer than he already was. The smile his wife gave him at that made him return it but at the same time it sent his heart pounding a little rapidly in response. He was tempted to kiss her but they were looking out on the rest of the room they'd been seated in. "It'll be a little hard to do this though without a calendar and some paper, unless you're just going to talk about where you'd like to go again?"

"Get your phone," Beckett said with a smile. "We can look and see our time for each place." When he had the calendar open on his phone and set it down on the table in between them she looked at the middle of June and said, "So they finish this year on the eighth. We can head to Madrid the next day."

"So Spain is first," Castle said, though he wasn't too surprised at that. "And how long do you want to spend in those cities?"

"Well, let me see how it'd go two weeks in each place," Beckett said before she began to count them off, pointing to each second week. "Spain, Ireland, Scotland-"

"I don't know if you want to just put the countries there all together," Castle said.

"For this we'll separate them," Beckett replied. "And what, they don't have enough in Scotland and Wales to keep us occupied for two weeks?" she asked wryly.

"Go ahead," Castle said, shaking his head though he was smiling.

Finishing counting off, Beckett replied. "Actually we could do it and we'd finish England the week our anniversary is with the next week to spare."

"How long would you want to stay at the manor?" Castle asked her.

"Well, since I'll be able to ride horses this time and I just want to spend longer there…" Beckett started to say with a smile. "Four days? We can let them explore London before we meet in Oxford?"

"I'm wondering," Castle said, looking serious then. But their food arrived and he had to stop before they ate a little, knowing she was as hungry as he was. After a few bites he told her, "I would like to have a big family night out in London, fancy restaurant and us dressing up, all of that. I want Alexis to remember who'll be at home waiting for her the holidays and summer breaks she has."

"You're a great father Rick," Beckett said, taking his hand and squeezing it. "And we'll do that but we forgot about Paris and Nice."

"Ah, well, I think we should take a two day trip to Paris while we're in London," Castle told her.

"And stay there while we have our hotel room in London?" Beckett asked with a wide smile.  
"Yes, but you know we'll need to see if those two weeks are enough," Castle said. "I should tell you right now, we'll be taking those four days at the Adare Manor no matter what."

"That I expected," Beckett said as she watched him turn off his phone and put it away. "How's your kebab?"

"Delicious and I've had kebabs in Turkey," Castle told her. "And your pomegranate chicken?"

"Great, why were you in Turkey?" Beckett asked him as she hadn't heard the reason why.

"Because I just felt like going, great food there and Constantinople is interesting," Castle said.

"Right on the water," Beckett said with a smile.

"Yeah, I tend to be happiest around water in some way," Castle told her teasingly since they had noticed that during their marriage; ever since their honeymoon. "But my mind's going back to that family dinner I'd like to do," he told his wife. "What about seeing a play?"

"That would be nice but I'm wondering if Eliza would be able to stay up for it," Beckett pointed out.

"I'll have her sit with me and make sure she does," Castle said seriously. Then he grinned and told her, "And I can fill her up with candy to make sure."

Rolling her eyes though she was smiling at that Beckett said, "We'll find another way. And I'm wondering, besides Adare, could we find some time for ourselves?"

"We can, I'm thinking, Paris, the restaurant in the Eiffel Tower?" Castle said.

"Have you been there?" Beckett asked. When he nodded she then asked, "On a date?" He did the same again and she said, "And how is it?"

Slightly surprised at no comment on the fact he'd taken a past date there, Castle quickly replied, "Very nice and the food is good too."

"Then we should do that," Beckett said.

"Maybe one night in one city in the countries we're going to should be set aside for us," Castle said, studying her closely.

Biting her lower lip for a moment, Beckett then smiled and told him, "Yes."

At his wife's breathy tone, Castle couldn't resist anymore and he leaned over, kissing her tenderly before he slowly pulled away. " _I love you_ ," he murmured into her ear.

Shivering as his breath caressed her skin, Beckett whispered back, " _I love you too_." She was tempted to kiss him again as they stared at one another but instead she lifted up her glass and said softly so only he could hear, "To us."

"To us my love," Castle told her, nodding before they tapped glasses and took a sip. He got them out of dangerous territory then as their eyes couldn't really seem to move away from each other, asking her what she thought their daughters might be doing. Luckily Beckett went along with that and they went through their meal, laughing and talking about the sisters' night out. They couldn't stop looking at each other though and he found he couldn't wait to be finished so they could go, wanting to be with her a little desperately as he stared at her intently.

* * *

The bass of the music was pounding through the club and as Beckett pressed closer to her husband while she danced, she could feel his hand grasping the small of her back tightly. She wrapped her arm around him then and felt him pressing her hard to him in response to that before the song ended, what felt like abruptly to her.

"Ready to go?" Castle asked as they left the dance floor; having been dancing for nearly twenty minutes by then.

"No, I'll be right back," Beckett said, brushing her lips to his and smiling at him before she left. She went into the restroom and got a paper towel wet, running it along the back of her neck, still hearing the beat of the music in her ears. But when she suddenly heard someone behind her saying 'the writer' she paused, looking at the reflection of the stalls behind her.

"Oh come on Melody, he's here with his wife," another woman said.

"And what, he can't dance with anyone else?" the woman Beckett guessed was called Melody said. "Besides, you saw her; she's older than I am."

"Not that much and he's older than she is you should remember," the other woman said wryly though Beckett could hear a tinge of annoyance in her tone. "You've been watching them since they got here and he's not really taking his eyes off of her for too long."

"She's old and a mother, no man is going to be happy with just that," Melody replied firmly. "I'm going to dance with him; you should distract his wife for me."

"Hell no, she used to be a cop, she could probably kick my ass," the other woman said bitterly. "And I don't think he'll dance with you Melody," she finally said in exasperation. "They're attached at the hips out there."

"Ugh, don't make me sick," Melody replied. "I'm not sure what he sees in her, she's not attractive."

"You make me sad you know," the other woman said with a sigh.

"That's just because you're gay and that has nothing to do with this, she's not-" Melody said.

"She's not my type but she is attractive, and you heard Van, he thought she was too and he's not into women," the other woman said. "So go find another guy to dance with and leave them alone Melody."

At that Beckett had heard enough and she knew she was chancing the two women coming out the stalls to find her eavesdropping on them. So she hurriedly threw away the paper towel still in her hand and rushed out. "Hey," she said, going to her husband at the bar, surprised there seemed to be a long pause in the music. But just as she was thinking that it started up and she smiled at him, pulling him out onto the dance floor.

A little startled by how abrupt his wife was, Castle couldn't really complain as she was wrapping both her arms around his neck. He was relieved, though he knew he was going to have to tell her about the requests he'd gotten to dance while she'd been gone. But to forget that for the time being he put both his hands on her back and made sure they brushed together with every centimeter they moved, groaning under his breath as that served to remind him he was still excited from their dancing before. He couldn't stop himself and he turned his head, kissing her deeply.

Though the kiss wasn't that long, Beckett felt a thrill shoot up and down her spine at the feel of it. She nearly smirked then when she looked over her husband's shoulder, seeing the woman she instinctively knew was Melody watching them, looking very angry. She bit her lower lip then as Castle turned and brushed his lips to her neck, trembling as he had no idea what she'd heard but was still managing to prove the one point the woman had made that had angered her; that her husband would get tired of her since she was a mother. It was then that she felt her husband's arousal and she pulled away slightly to look at him.

' _Sorry_ ,' Castle mouthed to her, though he was wondering if her look was meant to be annoyed and she was still recovering from his kiss to her neck. But when she smiled and shook her head that was enough of a reassurance for him and he kissed her again, gentler that time, and quicker since they were still dancing to the heavy beat of the song. When it had finally ended he murmured into her ear, "Drinks?"

Nodding, Beckett let him take her hand and lead him to the bar where she held onto his hand, leaning against him while he ordered two martinis. "Come on," she said, having to yell over the song playing then. She pulled him over to one of two small rooms the club had and sat with him at the table. "I have to tell you what I heard," she then said.

Castle was a little startled at that but when his wife explained the talk the two women were having he couldn't blame her for wanting to share that and he could feel himself growing angrier as she finished telling him how she'd had to hurry out before the two discovered her. "I can tell you thought what she said was complete bull," he said. "And was she that woman we walked by?" he then asked, remembering one with long blond hair that had been watching them intently as they'd gone to the bar. When she nodded he then said with a slight smirk, "I'm glad I kissed you then."

"So am I," Beckett said, taking a sip of her drink. She studied her husband over the rim of the glass and then asked him, "You were asked to dance when I was gone weren't you?"

"A few times, yeah," Castle said. "The first one thought she had a chance, the second woman might have thought she had a better one than the first and after the third one got turned away I think the other women hoping to ask gave up."

Shaking her head, Beckett put down her empty glass at the same time he did on the table in front of them and told him, "You know you could have danced with them if you wanted to." She had expected him to make a joke about that; since they'd talked to one another about that a long time before; but when Castle instead took her in his arms and kissed her she forgot what they'd been discussing as he was slipping his tongue into her mouth. She held onto him as tightly as she could, trying to respond to him the best that she could as well. It took her a moment but soon she was playfully fighting off his tongue with her own before they absolutely had to breathe and slowly they pulled apart. "We need to leave," she said, seeing his eyes darkening before her.

"We will, but now…" Castle said before he was crushing his lips back to hers. That time she was responding quickly and he couldn't help his hands that time as they seemed to suddenly have minds of their own. His left arm slid around her back to hold her to him and his right slid up the front of her dress, from her abdomen to her breasts before she suddenly stopped him. "What?" he asked as she had pulled away.

"No, it's just, they have cameras in here," Beckett replied.

"Right," Castle said, looking up. He then paused and looked down at the doorway, having sworn he'd seen someone standing there.

"That was her," Beckett said, following his gaze.

"I guess she didn't like our show," Castle said. "Come on," he told her as he stood, pulling her up by her hand.

Smiling as she could tell that her husband was still aroused, Beckett followed him out to their car once they had on their outer layers. She was a little surprised when he turned off the road to a beach and she looked at him after he'd stopped. "Really?" she asked in amusement.

"Really, you've never done this?" Castle asked while he was opening the door and they both went to into the backseat.

"I almost did," Beckett replied. She smiled when her husband looked at her and said, "Remember that date my dad terrified?"

"So how does that make it almost?" Castle asked.

"He was too scared to do anything," Beckett replied. "I took his hand and he jumped as if he'd been shot. So I told him to take me home since he was too scared to do much else. Though again, I thought at the time," she said, her breath coming out a little quicker as she watched her husband slowly begin to unbutton her coat. "That he was afraid of me."

"Then he missed out," Castle said as they both watched him spread her opened coat apart. He looked at her breasts, moving a little faster with her breathing and looked up at her saying, "I get the feeling he would have enjoyed himself."

"You don't-" Beckett started to say before she was suddenly kissed. She was a little startled in the fact that it wasn't a hungry kiss like the ones he'd given her at the club but she didn't enjoy it any less as she hurried to respond to him. She let out a short moan when her husband suddenly ran his hand over her thigh, letting it slide under her skirt.

When they had parted to breathe, Castle pressed his lips to the side of his wife's head and murmured to her, not sure what he was saying. He was going a little crazy at the feel of her warm, silky skin under his palm and he had to kiss her again before he took her that second. That kiss was harder and a little rougher as their hands were all over each other and he nearly lost his resolve before she was pulling away from him. "Sorry, I know this isn't the best place…" he started to say.

"You want to make love here?" Beckett asked, a little startled.

"No, no, I was tempted, but I think we should go home," Castle said, though even as he was speaking, his hand was running up her thigh still.

"We should, the last thing we need is for us to have to an officer we know catching us," Beckett teased him. She was pleased at his smile as he moved his hand and she leaned over, kissing him on the lips gently before she buttoned her coat and they went back into the front. On the drive home she reached over to him and held his hand when she could, squeezing it every so often until they were in the garage. She went to the kitchen while Castle was hanging up their coats for her and grabbed something before she rejoined him. Walking upstairs she was surprised to see there was no light on under the door to Alexis' room. She went first to Eliza's room, checking from the door with Castle on their youngest and seeing she was fast asleep. A quick look into Julia's room and she was sure their daughters were alright, so as soon as the door was closed she led her husband to their room.

About to take his wife into his arms, Castle was a little startled when she instead took his hand, holding his palm up. He was going to ask her what she was doing, when he watched her place the dogwood blossom in his hand. "Love…" he said looking into her eyes and seeing the arousal he was feeling coursing through his entire body reflected in her brown eyes. He then locked the door behind them and managed to get the flower onto the dresser near them before he was gathering her in his embrace, crushing his lips to hers at the same time.

Beckett held onto her husband as tightly as she possibly could, moaning in joy as she could feel his desire against her thigh. She slowly pulled away from him and wasn't surprised when he tried to follow her. "Come here," she told him, starting to lead him over to the bed. She was a little startled when instead he pushed her slightly over to the wood table behind their bedstead and she glanced at him over her shoulder. When she heard the zipper of her dress starting to open, she began to lean over when he stopped her.

"Not like that," Castle told her, his strained tone betraying his struggle. He made her turn around, leaning back against the table that time. He then reached up to the short sleeves of her dress and pulled them down off her arms as she helped him and once the fabric was out of the way he quickly began to brush his lips over her mounds. He heard her short cry of pleasure at that and he hungrily took her left nipple into his mouth, shuddering as he tasted the taut peak, her fingers raking over his scalp as he suckled at her. But he forced himself not to stay there long, doing the same to her other breast before he got down on his knees in front of her.

Beckett was expecting her husband's hands under her dress, pulling off her panties so she was quick to step out of them with his help. As soon as he was standing up again she wrapped her arms around his neck and held onto him tightly as he picked her up enough to put her on the top of the table. Watching him push up the skirt, her dress was soon gathered around her waist, and she was wrapping her legs tightly around him. "I hope… this…" she started to say, having to trail off as the pleasure from him sliding into her was too much. She breathed in, wondering what he was going to do as he wasn't fully inside of her and on her exhale he suddenly moved, thrusting with one swift jerk before they were completely coupled.

Castle was groaning as his wife cried out at that and he was quick to start thrusting, not even having to ask Beckett to know what she wanted him to do. He soon had himself at a rough pace, feeling her starting to respond more and more before together they were pulling off his jacket that he still had on. The second it was off he leaned down and kissed her, wanting a distraction from what their undulating bodies were doing to each other already so soon after starting. He went a little crazy, his head tilting back and forth as if he were trying to devour her but finally she reached up; having been holding tight to the edge of the table; and made him stop. He stared into her eyes as she pulled away from him, and he leaned down, brushing his lips all around her neck, going from side to side and each point where her pulse was racing. His mouth watered and he couldn't stop himself, descending to her breasts again.

One hand grasping onto the edge again, Beckett was using that more as a kind of anchor while her husband's lips were just barely caressing her mounds. Her eyes were almost rolling into the back of her head as it was all becoming too much. His member inside of her was steadily moving and with her matching him they were creating a great deal of friction that was making her entire body react, hot with the fire of their bodies together. When he suddenly took her right nipple into his mouth she cried out a little, her other hand tightening its grip on the back of his head. She moaned his name deeply as he proceeded to suck at her, his tongue working over her nipple repeatedly, and she wasn't sure how she was still moving with him. As she thought that she lost her rhythm a little and felt Castle reach down to steady her, making her move his head.

A little startled when his wife forced him back up, Castle was able to get an answer to his unasked question of why she'd done that as she wrapped her arms around him tightly. He shuddered, feeling an intense rush of love for Beckett as she made him press his forehead against hers. He loved that even in the midst of them being very aggressive with each other; she still wanted some kind of calmer intimacy; to be able to be aware of what she was feeling because of him. He didn't blame her, he wanted the exact same, so while they were fucking he took her lips in a very gentle kiss, letting it linger until he pulled away, only putting a minimum of space between them. He grunted as she lost her rhythm the next thrust of her hips towards him but that made them kiss again, as with their lips so close neither of them felt they could really do anything else. When they parted from that it was then that he realized they were alright and he clenched his teeth before he started to move even harder, since the table was obviously able to withstand more.

Her nails digging into her husband's back, Beckett pressed her cheek against his, trying to find something cool to press to her burning skin. But since he was as hot to the touch as her it was futile and it was then she realized that they were a little uneven in their state of undress from the way her breasts were constantly brushing against his shirt. She made him move back enough for her to be able to reach in between them and hurriedly she unbuttoned his dark blue shirt, opening it before she whispered with a brief smile, "When… when did you have your t-trousers open?" stammering slightly as he was changing the angle of his hips as she was talking.

"I don't think that mat… matters," Castle groaned as he was leaning down. He took her lips with his own but that time made it a more sensuous kiss, able to tell from the way his wife's form was straining against him in her movements that she was enjoying it greatly. He pulled away slightly before he kissed her again but very quickly. He looked down at her body in between them and felt Beckett's fingers brushing against his jaw, making his head tilt back up. He then concentrated on nothing else but moving, thrusting into her as hard as he was able, their hips starting to slap consistently together in response to him driving down into her as hard as he could. "Kate… love, you need to come for me," he nearly hissed to her. "I can feel you… come for me _now_."

The full command in that one word was enough to push Beckett over the edge and she threw her head back as her body began to writhe reaching its breaking point. She had her arms around her husband, joining her legs which had remained where they were the entire time they'd been fucking each other. She was beating the rhythm of the waves of her orgasm into his ass with her heels. She didn't care if she was hurting him as she wasn't able to even think about it with the way she felt the rushing current of electricity reach for every inch of her body. She was a little startled to feel Castle joining her, shortly after she had begun, but she held him tightly, loving the feel of their bodies taking their final ecstasy in that moment until finally she could feel herself slowing down until she nearly fell back; using her hands to support her weight as she closely watched her husband thrust hard a few more times and then abruptly stop.

Castle didn't let Beckett say anything once he was still, instead kissing her passionately until they had to breathe. Once they were apart he told her, "I get the feeling we needed that?"

"Help me," Beckett said with a smirk as she knew she didn't need to answer the question. She got down from the table after he'd moved away from her and without her needing to tell him he was helping her with her dress, which she took before he could put it away, tossing it over onto the dresser. That done she turned to him and kissed him briefly as she helped him get his shirt off his arms, letting it fall to the ground without a second glance. She then started to reach for his trousers when he kissed her again and from his movements while they were curling their tongues together, she guessed he was taking them off himself. She pulled back, wanting to gauge if she could maybe arouse him again, when he made her turn away from him. "Oh god," she breathed in a sharp gasp as he was thrusting into her. She moaned as he barely allowed her the chance to part her legs when she moaned, "It's going to… be one… of those… nights!"

"You did this to me Kate," Castle nearly growled to her before he buried his face into her hair. He groaned momentarily at the feel of her locks on his lips and told her, "Dancing with me, you knew I'd want you to feel you."

"I… yes!" Beckett cried in joy as she finally gave up and allowed herself to lie on the table completely. Castle's next thrust into her nearly pushed her further forward on the table, but he was soon leaning down after her. And feeling his lips on her back she wondered if he would mind her losing control. Since he had started out roughly immediately, she wasn't really able to try and distract herself, more so since they couldn't do what they did to one another face to face. But she found that it wasn't a problem, as the pleasure was more concentrated where they were joined together and the burning of her body was nearly overwhelming in her pleasure. She then felt Castle's fingertips brushing against the side of her breast and she looked back at him over her shoulder seeing the intensity in his eyes. She felt her heart hammering against her ribs, his expression thrilling her and nearly making her dizzy. She held on though and didn't stop moving with him, closing her eyes tightly, trying then to last longer, to make what she was feeling continue.

Castle seemed to be able to sense what his wife was going through, more because it was what he himself was struggling with as well. So he felt he had no choice but to stop, not really surprised when Beckett let out a frustrated groan in response to that. "Stand up love," he said then, moving back so she could. He was pleased when she hurried to comply with him and he reached up, able to cup her breasts since he didn't have to make himself thrust inside of her. He pressed his lips to the left side of her neck as her hair was still pushed over her other shoulder; which he'd done earlier to have more access to her back; and he started to carefully fondle her. With her moaning in front of him he played a little with her mounds, focusing more on her nipples as he knew that was where she'd get more pleasure. And he found himself correct when she began to softly cry out with each thing he did, more so when he was rolling his fingers around her the peaks, shuddering at how stiff they became when his hands came back to them. "You know I love these," he whispered hoarsely into her ear. "But I prefer this part of you my love…" and with that he let his hand descended to her clit, rubbing it with his first two fingertips before he let go.

"Please Rick, fuck me," Beckett begged him as she looked over her shoulder at him while leaning over again. She didn't have to wait long before he was beginning to move again and as he had been previously, he was thrusting hard and fast, nearly digging her nails into the tabletop though she couldn't find any purchase. It didn't matter though since Castle was holding her by the hips she was secure but she still needed it as a distraction as the pleasure from him was roaring through her yet again. That time though she found her ability to find that diversion harder and she was nearly biting into her lower lip she was holding onto herself with her last shred of self control. "I… can't stop," she whispered, though it sounded more like a yell with the room quiet; excluding the sound of their meeting bodies.

"Then come for me… I can feel your pussy…" Castle groaned, not planning on using the word then, but it slipped out. "This is… why I call you perfection… what I wanted when you danced… danced with me tonight. Come for me Kate, let me feel you coming and I'll give you anything you want," he was nearly begging her, finding himself in the same place with regards to self control.

"I just want you Rick! Just you… oh god, I love you! Rick I love you!" Beckett found herself almost screaming in ecstasy as his words added far too much for her to be able to have a chance to recover or stop herself. She felt her orgasm rough and hard; much like her husband was still thrusting in her; and a second later she could tell that his climax matched hers in that as he was joining her.

"Love… Kate I love you too! I can't stop," Castle told her, as a kind of warning as he didn't think he would be able to cease wanting her for long that night. He groaned as he could feel her sex drawing his release from him and he moved a little faster when they both started coming down, his head almost spinning at the feel of her. Finally he grew still though he nearly collapsed on top of her as she'd ended up lying on the table again. He took a couple minutes to try and regain his strength and then ran his lips around her back before she stood up, making him quickly pull away from her to get out of her way. "Bed?" he asked as she turned to him. When she didn't answer he watched as she walked around to her side, sitting up in the middle and holding the bed sheet over her breasts. The sight she made doing that spurred him to move and he hurried around to pick up their remaining clothes before getting the fire started.

"Hurry," Beckett said as he turned to her. "I'm freezing." She smiled when he stared at her and pulled him the rest of the way to her as she let the sheet drop to her lap.

Once Castle was with Beckett the pair disappeared underneath the covers and only shapes of their bodies, undulating and grasping each other could be seen pressing up against the sheet and blankets as they made love before giving up, taking one another roughly and eagerly to their ecstasy as their groans and sighs filled the room.

* * *

"So you definitely can't be cold anymore," Castle said as his wife turned over in his arms and pressed against his front.

"Hmm, no, I'm good," Beckett said, getting as close to him as she possibly could. She smiled when his hand came up to her and brushed her hair off of her cheek before she grabbed it and pressed her lips to his palm. "You know what I realized?" she then asked him. When he made a noise that she took as an unspoken what, she said, "We should have filmed ourselves." She smiled when he raised his head and told him, "To show that woman."

"Naughty love, very naughty," Castle said, tracing her lips with his index finger. "But you know, if you ever wonder if I still want you… think of tonight."

"I will," Beckett said. "I'll probably do that when I'm alone but…"

Shuddering, Castle wanted to comment on that but decided not to, instead leaning down and taking her lips with his own. He kept the kiss gentle at first but feeling his wife responding to him almost instantly was too much for him to resist and he made it more intense. He had no idea how long they were like that, but finally he parted from her, telling her, " _I love you_ Kate," as he ran the backs of his fingers over her bare shoulder and down her arm.

Shivering at a mix of both the touch and his Irish, Beckett kissed him that time but much less forceful before she was lying back, looking up at him. " _I love you too_ Rick," she said, running her hand down his chest. She watched him then take her hand, pressing his lips against it a few times and making her shiver again. When he had let her go she turned back around, feeling him pressing against her back immediately and she then turned her head, whispering to him, unable to help smiling as he grabbed at her a little tightly at that.

"Are you sure?" Castle asked. When his wife nodded, his slipped his hand between her legs, and then very carefully began to stroke at her clit. Listening to his wife moan in pleasure, he couldn't help but start to grow aroused and finally he raised her leg with that same hand, and leaned forward to kiss her hard as he slid back inside of her. "One more," he whispered to her when they'd parted, taking a moment to feel themselves connected so intimately.

"No, just more," Beckett corrected him before reaching back to him, bringing him to her lips. She moaned when he reached around her body with his left hand, pressing her back to him and then reached up to press her hand to his cheek. She responded to his whispered I love you in turn, waiting for his lips to descend to hers, feeling them aching in her need.

As they kissed, Castle and Beckett's hands entwined together tightly as they wanted to feel each other more connected than they already were. That kiss was followed by a second and then a third, neither of them too eager to stop and finally they began to make love again without much hesitation. Everything in them was pushing them together, an invisible force, almost a chemical reaction that made them want all they could get from each other and made them need one another simply, passionately and in between; always.


	14. Epilogue- Make The Season Bright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to note that I wrote this chapter way, way before the eppy Hollander's Woods aired.
> 
> The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song The Christmas Song written by Bob Wells and Mel Tormé, the version I have taken from is the one sung by Nat King Cole.

"Pretty," Eliza gasped to her sister as they held hands. "So pretty!"

"I know and we'll get to open them in a little bit," Julia said. "Come on, let's sit down." Once they had, she then asked, "Do you remember opening these before?"

"Not the tree," Eliza said with a frown for a moment.

"That was your birthday," Julia explained quickly. "This is because everyone loves everyone else in our family."

"She's right and Santa's gifts are for you two because you've been good this year," Castle said, coming into the room with his wife. "Well, you're supposed to be good."

"But I think you two have been," Beckett said quickly as Eliza suddenly looked panicked. "So Santa should agree with us."

"Right," Castle said quickly as he realized what he'd said. "And if he doesn't, I'll talk to him."

"Are we ready?" Martha asked, coming in with a tray.

"We are," Alexis said, holding Eliza's cup of milk. "You don't want any?" she asked as her little sister stayed where she was sitting with her sister.

"Leave it, she'll be thirsty later," Beckett said. "But you two know we don't sit in front of the tree until tomorrow."

"Come on, you can help me pass out the presents," Julia said to Eliza, looking at the Christmas Eve gifts in front of them. "Is she first?" she asked her parents.

"Yep, remember to read the tag for her," Castle said, putting his arm around Beckett.

Leaning against him she glanced at her husband, seeing easily that he was excited in his expression. She had to agree with him, there was something about having Eliza there as well to open gifts that made things even more enjoyable. But before she could think about that any further, Julia was reading the tag on Eliza's one gift underneath the tree and Beckett turned her attention to her.

" _To Eliza_ ; that's you," the little girl was saying seriously. " _From Alexis_."

"Wait," the young woman said, laughing as her little sister started to run over to her. "Wait until you see the present to thank me."

"Oh… Jules?" Eliza asked a little shyly.

"Let Mommy help you," Julia whispered into her sister's ear.

"Mommy, help?" the toddler said, her tone of voice still shy as she stood next to her mother.

"Of course," Beckett said as Castle let her go. "This should be a great present, you know your sister gets some very nice things," she told Eliza as she helped her unwrap the gift after Castle had cut the ribbon on it. "Look," she said as toddler gasped. "Your own _salwar_ _kameez_ like your sisters have."

"It might be a little big," Alexis said. "But I talked to the woman at the store this is from and she said Eliza will be able to grow into it."

"I think she likes it," Beckett said with a smile as Eliza was hugging the aqua blue fabric of the top to her tightly.

"I thought she would since she always looked jealous- oof," Alexis said as Beckett had helped her little sister down and she'd run over to her, hugging her tightly. "You're welcome Lizzy," she said, hearing her sister's whispered thanks.

"Now your turn Julia," Castle told her as she was standing next to them.

Rushing to the tree, the little girl looked at each gift before seeing the one with her name on it. " _To Julia, from Mommy_ ," she read before looking at her.

"You'll see why when you open it," Beckett replied, feeling Castle wrap his arm around her.

Tearing open the gift Julia looked surprised, though a little confused, and pulled out the item inside; an equestrian helmet. She then realized why it had just been her mother's name on the tag and asked, "This was yours?"

"When I was a little older than you are now," Beckett replied with a nod. "Your grandpapa found it in the boxes he's going through. I don't know if you want to use it but I thought you'd want to use it for decoration in your room at the very least."

"Oh Mommy, I want to use it for riding!" Julia said, rushing to her and hugging her as tightly as she could. "Thank you so much!"

"It's that McCollough blood," Castle said, squeezing his wife's arm as he could see she was touched by what their daughter had said. "Okay, now Alexis' turn."

"Yeah, I know which one is hers," Julia said eagerly, setting the helmet down carefully on the coffee table, next to the tray with their desserts for after on it. She went to the tree and took the small box out; hurrying to Alexis who still had their sister on her lap. "Merry Christmas… Eve," she said with a grin.

"Thank you," Alexis replied with a laugh before she felt Eliza tugging on her sleeve.

"Not yet," the toddler said firmly. She smiled at her family as they all started to laugh and then said, "Open, open!"

"Okay, right away," Alexis said, unable to help kissing the side of her head. " _To Alexis, from your family_ ," she read, smiling at them.

"That includes my dad," Beckett said quickly.

"I'll have to thank him," Alexis replied as she unwrapped the book she could tell it was, and saw it was a Great Britain travel book; the same one her dad and stepmother had.

"Look inside," Julia said hurriedly.

Opening the front cover, Alexis saw there were short notes from the six members of her family, and she smiled widely reading each one. "Thank you," she said, as the notes all congratulated her on getting into Oxford and included that they loved her. "I appreciate this as I am hoping to go around these countries."

"Now Mommy!" Julia said, smiling when her sister slid off of Alexis' lap at that and then hurried over to the tree with her. " _To Kate from Rick_ ," she read before giggling a little at the novelty of saying their first names. She let Eliza take the box and went with her over to their parents on the couch.

"I guess we're taking a test drive with this one," Beckett said, smiling at her husband for a moment. When she tore off the paper she wasn't too surprised to reveal a velvet jewelry box and she said, "Really?"

"Just wait and see," Castle said, knowing though that she was joking.

Pushing up the lid, Beckett took in a deep breath of air when she saw the set inside. "You… found it," she breathed, turning to him.

"That was your dad," Castle said, watching her closely as he wanted to gauge her reaction. "He-" he started to say before he let out a muffled groan when she threw her arms around him and proceeded to kiss him, nearly knocking him onto his back. He returned that kiss until she moved away and said, "He wasn't too sure about my idea, but he said if the set didn't just fall apart he was behind it one hundred percent," watching as Beckett picked up the pearl necklace with a small, teardrop pearl hanging from the middle; the teardrop pearl his addition. "He said your mom would have approved of it."

"She would, since she stopped wearing this after he gave her a newer set," Beckett said. "But the earrings… she never had those… you made them," she said in surprise.

"It wasn't a problem, I was lucky the jeweler was able to match the pearls to the one on the necklace," Castle said, as the bracelet and earrings matched the necklace.

"Thank you," Beckett said meaningfully, looking deep into her husband's eyes.

"You're more than welcome," Castle said before he leaned over to whisper into her ear. " _Promise me you'll wear these for me tomorrow night. Just this_ ," he told her.

" _I will, it will go perfectly with what I have planned_ ," Beckett told him, whispering in his ear so no one would hear. She smiled at his slight shock when she said that, and she turned back to the others. "You'd like to see?" she asked Alexis and Martha, handing the box to her stepdaughter who walked over to her.

"This is for you Daddy," Julia said. " _To Rick, from Kate_ ," she said, having already read the tag.

"So no one else wanted to give me a gift?" Castle asked jokingly as he started to unwrap the present. "Or is it my wife didn't let you."

"I asked them," Beckett said, rolling her eyes.

"It's…" Castle started to say before he looked down at the picture that he was holding in his hand. "My girls," he said. "And my wife I should say."

"No, your girls, we were all in agreement with that when we took the picture," Beckett said, smiling at his reaction to the picture of her, their daughters and Alexis in front of the tree in the front yard.

"This is great, thank you everyone," Castle said. "Especially you love since I know this is your camera," he said to his wife, leaning over and kissing her then.

"Gram now!" Eliza cried, walking as swiftly as her legs could take her to the last present. She went over to Martha, giving her the box and saying, "From me."

"So it is," Castle's mother said, looking at the tag. "Let's see what you've gotten for me."

"Your Shakespeare's showing Gram," Alexis teased her as she handed Beckett back her pearl set.

"It does, every once in a while," Martha said, waving her hand at them. She uncovered the box, and opening it she found the plate that Eliza had painted weeks before at the ceramic studio. "Oh darling, for me?"

"Yeah, see the pretty fishies?" Eliza asked proudly.

"I do, and this is perfect for my room, the colors are stunning," Martha said before kissing her granddaughter on the cheek to her giggle. "Thank you so much."

"So a good start to our Christmas," Castle said, standing up to start gathering the wrapping paper. "Though it's the night before."

"Tomorrow's going to be awesome," Julia said.

"It will," Castle said as he turned to see his wife looking at the pearl necklace he'd had fixed and altered.

"Play! Play now Daddy! Wake up!" Eliza cried happily as she ran over to him.

"I'm up, let me just get this taken care of," Castle said with a laugh before he hurried to set aside the paper in their recycling. Coming back into the family room he saw that the others were setting up the Michigan rummy game and he asked, "Who's playing with Eliza?"

"I am," Alexis replied. "And we're going to win, right?" she asked her little sister.

"Yeah," Eliza replied, giving her a high five before squealing in joy. Even though it was Alexis that was playing, she found herself still enjoying the game and when it had finished she took one of the chips, biting on it before anyone could stop her.

"Eliza," Beckett said a little sternly. She managed to get the chip out of her mouth telling her, "You know you're not supposed to eat those."

"I think it's time for dessert," Martha replied, reaching over to the tray to their side.

"I'll agree with that," Castle said, taking the cookie that was for Eliza. "Okay, so we should play something next, you three pick out something you want to play alone."

"Just us?" Julia asked. "I know, lemme get it!" she exclaimed to her sisters before rushing over to the cabinet.

"You don't want to play?" Beckett asked her husband.

"I need to call Brad and Lily," Castle murmured into her ear.

"Right," Beckett said, watching as Julia came back with Eliza's UNO game. "I feel like another cup," she said suddenly, though her mug wasn't empty yet.

"I'll go with you," Castle said quickly. "We'll be right back but start your first game."

"Play more?" Eliza asked hopefully.

"You can," Beckett said with a smile as Julia looked absolutely delighted to hear that. She followed her husband out to their office and closed the door as he called their friends.

"Hey Rick, he's-" Brad started to say.

"No, we're wondering if you can bring him a little later? Like at a quarter to eleven or eleven itself, we're not sure Julia and Eliza will get to bed at their normal bedtime," Castle told him.

"Oh sure, that won't be a problem, you know we need to stay up until our kids go to bed," Lily replied then.

"Great, text us when you're there and we'll meet you in the garage," Beckett said.

"Is he going to be okay until tomorrow?" Brad asked.

"We have it planned out," Castle assured the couple. "Thanks so much for this, we owe you."

"You're welcome and we're happy to do it, he's adorable," Lily said. "We'll see you later."

"Bye," Castle and Beckett said together. Hanging up his phone, he turned to his wife saying, "This should be a memorable Christmas. But-"

"They always are," Beckett said at the same time as him. "Come on, we need to get them tired so we can get this last gift ready."

Castle let his wife take his hand before they left, going back to the family room, unable to help the excitement running through him yet again at the thought of the next day and their celebration.

* * *

"I think Santa's going to love his cookies this year," Beckett was saying as they were all watching Julia and Eliza putting down the milk and cookies in front of the fireplace. "And since we're talking about Santa, say goodnight to your gram and sister."

"Night, if you see Santa, tell him we tried to be good," Julia was telling Martha as she hugged her.

"Oh don't worry, he knows already," Castle's mother said with a smile as she hugged the girls to her. "Sweet dreams you two, I love you both."

"Love you Gram!" "Love you!" Julia and then Eliza said eagerly before they both shared a kiss with her. They ran to their sister, repeating their shared I love yous before kissing Alexis.

"Remember come get me in the morning okay?" the young woman told her sisters seriously. She smiled when they nodded, giggling, and she hugged them one last time before letting them go to Castle and Beckett.

Once upstairs in Eliza's room, Castle put the little girl into bed before Julia kissed her sister goodnight saying, "Night Lizzy I'll let you know when you can get up. Love you."

"Love you Jules," Eliza replied with a smile, looking sleepy.

"Sleep tight sweetheart," Castle said, sharing a kiss with her. "I love you."

"Love you Daddy," Eliza said with a smile. When Beckett came over to her, she shared a kiss with her before she was being tucked in and almost asleep she murmured, "Love you too Mommy."

"I love you my little girl," Beckett replied with a wide smile on her face as she watched her fall asleep quickly after that. She pressed a kiss to her forehead and took Julia's hand; the other being held by Castle; as they left, going to her room.

"Try not to wake up too, too early," he was saying as he lifted Julia up to her excited cry. "And sweet dreams. I love you Julia."

"Love you too Daddy, a lot," the little girl said before they shared a kiss. She hugged him as he laid her down and she hugged her mother, sharing a kiss with her as she tucked her in. "I love you Mommy, thank you for the helmet," she told her seriously.

"Your helmet now," Beckett said firmly. She then said, "I love you too my little one, so much."

Julia smiled as her mother kissed her forehead and she then watched her parents leave, closing her eyes to try and fall asleep if she could, though she was very excited for the next day.

On the stairs, Castle and Beckett said goodnight to Martha, who was heading to her room to get some sleep in preparation for the next day, and they went into the family room where Alexis waited with them for twenty minutes before they began to put the gifts underneath the tree.

"Okay, so I'm heading up now," the young woman said when everything was set and Beckett had taken a few pictures of the tree that was still lit. "See you in the morning."

"Night Alexis," Castle and Beckett said almost at the same time. They waited for the sound of her bedroom door to close before he said, "Just in time," relief in his tone.

"How much time?" Beckett asked before she looked at her watch.

"Fifteen minutes should be enough," Castle replied as he texted Brad and Lily hurriedly on the phone. He took Beckett's hand and led her in front of the tree where they sat, looking at it as she leaned against him. "I love spending Christmas with you," he commented at one point.

"I know, I love it too," Beckett replied with a smile. "Our first one with Julia was an eye opener, that even though I didn't think I could I still was able to celebrate… and my mom was still with us."

"She is," Castle assured her. "And we're definitely celebrating our family too, not just gifts."

"Hmm, you sappy, sappy man," Beckett teased him as she tilted her head up to kiss him. But before their lips could meet the alert on his phone for his text messages sounded and they jolted apart. "That's him?"

"It is," Castle said quickly. "He…" he started to say before he laughed. "He parked on the street and is walking down the driveway, just in case."

"We better meet him, it's pretty cold," Beckett said. She hurried with him to the entry where they grabbed their coats, rushing out to their friend whose shadow they could see as he walked down to the house, something bundled in a blanket in his arms.

* * *

"Feel tired at all?"

"I think I'm concerned how he's doing."

"I know me too," Castle said as he ran his hand up and down his wife's arm. "But he'll be alright."

"We should sleep, the girls are going to get up early," Beckett replied after they were silent for a while.

"Yeah, night love," Castle said, though he had told her that already.  
"Night Rick," Beckett said with a slight smile before she closed her eyes.

Castle was aware when his wife had fallen asleep, as her body relaxed against his. He was awake for a little longer than her though, thinking of the next morning before he looked at the clock on his wife's nightstand and realized it was already Christmas morning. Tempted to tell Beckett Merry Christmas he instead made himself lay back, closing his eyes and almost forcing himself to sleep. He wasn't sure when it happened but finally he was asleep, still excited about the next day and the gifts he still had to present to his wife.

* * *

Coming to a stop suddenly, Eliza whimpered, "My feet hurt."

"Well you don't have to tiptoe here," Julia said quickly, looking at her. "They won't hear you now."

"Oh, come on," Eliza said in realization before she started to run.

Giggling as she hurried down the hall with her to their parents' room, Julia held her breath, hoping the door wasn't locked as she turned the knob. When it opened for her, she held her finger up to her lips to tell her little sister to keep quiet. She nearly broke the silence though when Eliza furrowed her brows and mimicked the action to her. Getting herself under control, she walked carefully inside the room and around the bed, seeing their mom and dad still asleep. She led Eliza to the end of the bed and then helped her up onto it before she climbed up. She was a little surprised to see they were still sleeping, so she finally stood up and bounced up and down behind Castle crying, "Wake up! Wake up Mommy, Daddy! It's Christmas and Santa came!"

Beckett jerked awake but when she heard Eliza crying out, "Up, up Santa!" she was laughing and turned over, seeing that Castle was trying to cover his head with his pillow.

"No Daddy," Eliza cried, reaching down and pulling on the pillow. "Presents!"

"Okay, okay, I'm up," Castle said. "Oh, we're up, morning love. Merry Christmas," he said as he saw his wife was watching him.

"Merry Christmas Rick," Beckett said leaning in to kiss him. But it was a brief one as Eliza was hugging her around the neck while Julia hugged Castle around his.

"So Santa came, great to hear. We said you were good," he then said as he pulled Julia over to him to kiss her cheek before he kissed Eliza. "Is your sister up?" he asked.

"She's making cider," Julia said, nodding.

"And your gram?" Beckett asked as she cuddled Eliza close. "Sweetie no," she said gently as she pulled her thumb from her mouth.

"She is," Martha said suddenly from the doorway, making the four jump. "Merry Christmas, to you all."

"Go say good morning," Castle urged the girls then. Once they were with his mother he got up and grabbed his and Beckett's robes that were on the armchair closest to her side. When she got off the bed he helped her into hers before he hugged her from behind as his mother had ushered Julia and Eliza downstairs to show her the tree. "Morning love," he murmured to her after pressing his lips to her shoulder.

"You said that already," Beckett replied with a smile, turning to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply as she felt his hands pressing on the small of her back. Very gently they stroked their tongues across each other's until she moved back to breathe, smiling at him again before she brushed her lips across his. "Come on," she told him, handing him his robe.

Following his wife down the stairs, Castle paused with her in the doorway to the family room, taking in the scene of the girls telling Martha about the gifts, though they could only say who they were for; Julia telling her sister what she read on the tags. "So Santa must have really thought you were all good," he commented.

"See?" Eliza cried, hurrying over to them.

"We do, but before we can open anything," Beckett said quickly as she could see Julia was going to ask. "We need to get our drinks ready."

"I made cider," Alexis said.

"I told them," Julia replied. "See? Here it is," she told her parents, pointing to the coffee table.

"It's enough for all of us," Alexis then added.

"Then let me pour this out and we'll get started," Castle said, pulling Beckett inside of the room. He quickly divided the kettle of cider between the six of them and then sat with his wife and Alexis in front of the tree after he'd moved one of the armchairs over for his mother. "So I'm first right? The most handsome in this room," he commented as Julia and Eliza were waiting anxiously in front of them.

"You should be last for that," Beckett teased him.

"Oh come on, it's true," Castle said, not minding the roll of her eyes. He kissed her cheek as she directed their oldest to get a gift for Eliza and when he heard the specific one she was mentioning he pulled back. "That one right off?" he asked.

"Yes," Beckett said firmly as Eliza was coming over to her. She took the toddler on her lap and kissed her temple as Julia was setting the long, oddly shaped gift in her hands. She was about to start helping her unwrap it, when her youngest started to almost shred the paper in her exuberance. "I guess she's got the hang of it," she said in amusement to her husband.

"I'm waiting for her reaction," Castle said when Beckett looked at the way his hands were hovering over his ears.

When Eliza saw the gift inside, she squealed loudly and held the head of the hobby horse against her, crying out, "Thank you!" repeatedly before she hugged her mother and then hugged her father tightly. "See my horsie?" she asked her sisters and grandmother eagerly.

"He looks beautiful kiddo," Martha said with a smile. "Or is it a girl?"

"A boy," Eliza said firmly. She pressed her cheek against the dark brown fur of the head, and then asked, "Can I go Mommy?"

"Not yet, after we open our presents," Castle answered for her.

"Put him in his stall sweetie," Beckett said with a smile, reaching out to her to take her hand. She pulled Eliza over against her left side and helped her lean the hobby horse against the couch behind them. "There, that way he'll be rested for your first ride," she said, still smiling at the way the toddler was stroking the head; much as she did a real horse.

"That McCullough blood again," Castle said with a smile as Beckett was finally able to get Eliza back with them. "Go ahead Julia," he said as he'd directed her to which gift of hers she could open.

Ripping open the wrapping paper, Julia cried out in joy at the ornament she found inside and asked, "It's a Lladro?"

"What is it?" Alexis asked.

Holding up the white and blue star, Julia said, "It has the blue box but I didn't know they made ornaments."

"They do, we were hoping you'd like that one," Beckett said.

"I do, can we hang it up after?" Julia asked.

"Actually, your mom and I-" Castle began to say.

"Actually," Beckett interrupted, giving her husband a look. "Your daddy thought it would be fun to let you two have little trees in your room; on your dressers; that you can decorate however you want."

"Can we?" Julia said excitedly.

"You can," Beckett said. "He's going to take you two; three if you want a tree as well Alexis. He'll take you to the stores tomorrow to get a tree and start getting ornaments."

"Oh, I can't wait now!" Julia said. "Now you Alexis," she said eagerly, rushing to get a gift.

" _From your Hamptons family_ ," Alexis read, glancing at her dad as that was in his handwriting.

"The four of us picked it," Castle explained.

"Eliza saw it first," Beckett then added as her stepdaughter revealed a blue box underneath the wrapping paper.

"So are we getting the Lladros out of the way first?" Alexis asked. "And also, how did you resist giving us any last year?"

"Didn't see any we liked," Castle said simply.

Taking out the figurine inside, Alexis smiled and said, "She'll stay here, since I don't want to risk damaging her in any way," looking at the details of the goddess Lakshmi. "But it is so beautiful, thank you," she said.

"Hold on you two," Beckett said as Julia and Eliza started to get up. "Get a gift for… oh," she started to say before realizing she was next.

"The one with the blue, green and while plaid paper," Castle told Julia who was waiting next to the tree.

Smiling as she had a feeling already what the present was, Julia picked it up; surprised it was a little heavy. She was confused; since it wasn't what she thought he'd gotten for her mother; but she took it to Beckett and gave it to her, sitting in front of her to see as Eliza sat up on her knees next to her to watch.

When the light blue box was revealed, Beckett looked over at her husband, wondering why he looked so calm. It was then she opened the lid, and pulled out what was inside; a figurine of a woman, nude, with flowers in blues and whites around the base. "It's… beautiful," she said, looking at him. "How did you know I wanted this one?"

"You did?" Castle asked in surprise. "I just thought the name meant I should buy it for you."

Blushing then; since the statue was called Pure Beauty; Beckett leaned over and kissed her husband deeply before she murmured a thank you to him. "Julia, get the present in red stripes with your daddy's name on it," she told their oldest though she didn't move too far away from him.

"Where will you put that?" Castle asked before he was given the gift.

"In our room," Beckett said simply before she pulled away for him to start opening his present, watching closely since that one was from her.

"So we are getting these out of the way first," Castle said in amusement as he revealed two statues of lion guardians. "And I was just going to order a pair of bookends to put in that space," he told his wife as he held up the Lladro of male lion. "Thank you love, it's perfect."

"Now Gram," Julia said, getting up after her parents had shared a kiss. She grabbed the gift she knew already they would want her to give Martha, and said, "It's from all of us here too."

"I see," Martha replied. "And Alexis as well," she said as she looked at the tag and saw that it said it was from her family. She made Julia sit down with her as she proceeded to tear off the paper and opening it she found she took had a Lladro which was a statue of a bird.

"Lizzy and I picked it 'cause you like peacocks," Julia said, smiling as her little sister came rushing over to touch the feathers that the bird had spread.

"Oh I do and this is beautiful, thank you for this," Martha replied. She kissed her youngest granddaughters before urging Julia to get Eliza's next gift.

With Julia getting the presents for everyone the family soon got down to the tree skirt, with everything opened and everyone pleased with what they got and reactions to what had been given. When they'd finished they were looking at some of their gifts again and Castle whispered something to his wife while everyone else was busy looking elsewhere.

Nodding to him, Beckett said, "We actually have one more gift," to get their attention. She had to pause and smile as Julia and Eliza exchanged a look before they both became visibly excited.

"Who is it for?" Julia asked.

"It's for all of us," Beckett said. "Though your daddy and I know what it is already." She then could hear him walking back to them and she told them, "Close your eyes."

"Is it a pony?" Julia cried.

"No," Castle called from out in the hall. "But I can't bring the present in if you're all looking; that includes you Mother."

"Oh honestly…" Martha said in mock exasperation. But she closed her eyes as her granddaughters did the same, hearing her daughter in law calling Castle to come in.

Hurrying, he went to the space of floor in front of them and set down the hat box, nodding to his wife to let her know everything was okay. "Okay, open them," Castle said quickly as he let go of the large box and stepped aside.

The second that Julia opened her eyes, the top of the box popped open and fell off the present, making her nearly scream, "A PUPPY!" before she slid along the floor to the one trying to climb out of the box, picking it up.

"Pup! Puppy!" Eliza squealed as she was next to the dog, Alexis right after her.

"It's for us?" Castle's daughter asked him in surprise.

"He is," Beckett said. "An Irish Wolfhound-"

"That's one of the tallest breeds," Alexis interrupted in surprise, stroking the puppy's red fur as her sister had let her hold it.

"We saw one in Ireland on our honeymoon," Castle explained. "And we were pretty okay with its height. Plus I happened to find out about a farm not too far from the city that had a litter from the dog, so we went to look and we found him."

"What's his name?" Julia asked, smiling as Eliza was squealing as the dog licked at her chin.

"You can name him, but everyone needs to agree on the name," Beckett said seriously. "So talk-"

"Macca!" Julia said immediately. When the puppy's ears pricked up she cried, "Look he knows his name," as she took him back from her big sister. She giggled as he licked her cheek and she held him tightly before setting him down on the floor.

"Mommy, Macca likes you," Eliza said firmly as the dog had gone straight to Beckett and put his paws on her arm, standing on his back legs.

"He did when we went to pick him out," Castle said, scratching the dog behind one of his ears. "What do you think Mother?"

"He's adorable but I just hope you two are ready for a dog," Martha said.

Laughing softly, Beckett said, "I think we can handle him after raising these two," her tone teasing.

"I am not a puppy," Eliza said firmly, pretending to pout before her mother gathered her in her arms. "Mommy, my horsie?"

"Oh, well… we have time to head outside before we need to start dinner love," Castle said, looking at his watch.

"First though, we have to clean up and then eat breakfast," Beckett said.

"I'm too excited to eat," Julia said, looking at the hat box where Macca had been. "Oh, is this his collar?" she asked as she saw the one that was there.

"I forgot to put it on him," Castle said in amusement. "Go ahead. Tomorrow we'll have to go to the pet store to get his tag made."

"Is Macca set as far as shots go?" Alexis asked. "What about a chip?"

"The owners of his mother took him to get everything," Beckett assured her as Julia snapped the collar; blue, green and white plaid; closed. "So you two will help me pick up right?"

"Yeah, that way we can go outside faster," Julia told her little sister.

"I'll get breakfast, just some scrambled eggs," Castle announced. "So we'll all be hungry for dinner."

"I'll come and help you Dad," Alexis said before she left with him.

Beckett smiled as Julia was telling Macca seriously about picking up the trash and for him to make sure he didn't eat the wrapping paper. She had to admit that she was pleased she and Castle had finally gotten a dog, able to see how much it had delighted their daughters. She had to shake herself then as Julia was helping her sister pick up the paper and she moved to help them so they could spend some time in the snow out back.

* * *

"Those are so cute," Alexis was saying as she watched her dad tying the booties onto Macca's feet.

"I know, I just hope he doesn't mind being outside in the snow," Castle said. "But they were used to hunt and it does snow in Ireland, so let's hope it's in his blood."

"Now we can go?" Julia asked eagerly as she, her sister and mother were waiting at the door to the back.

"Go ahead," Castle said as he picked up Macca. He followed the others out and whistled slightly saying, "Feels colder."

"That's why Eliza and I aren't staying out for too long," Beckett said, smiling as once they were in about the middle of the grass; as far as she could tell; they all stopped to watch as he put the dog down.

For a moment Macca looked up at them, his tail wagging before he started to walk towards Julia. But when he felt the booties on the bottoms of his legs he snapped at them and started to jump around, as if trying to figure out what was around his paws.

Giggling Eliza jumped up and down before she suddenly slipped, sitting down hard before looking up at her family with wide eyes. Before she could react in any other way though, Macca had suddenly come over to her, licking at her face; what little that was exposed to the cold. "Nooo Macca!" she cried.

"Are you okay with that name?" Beckett asked Alexis as Julia went over to help her sister up.

"Of course, actually I was expecting something Paul related," the young woman said with a smile as the two girls were throwing up some of the snow, making the dog snap at it playfully.

"It's actually an apropos name, since Macca's slang for someone with that Irish Mc in their name; like Paul," Castle commented. "So we should do something love."

"Their sleds are right there," Beckett said, nodding to the steps where they'd placed them before coming out with the others. "We should probably build the hill."

With Alexis' help, the two managed to get a small hill in the middle of the yard, and Castle tested it out first, able to slide pretty far on the sled that he and Beckett had bought for themselves and also for any friends of the girls' that might come over and need one.

"I'll go first," Julia said eagerly after Castle got up, brushing himself off. "Can Macca come with me?"

"Do you mind if I take Eliza first?" Beckett asked. "Since we're going to need to go in first."

"Me too," Castle said, his wife's surprised glance at him not unexpected.

"You don't need to start yet," Beckett said.

"Shower," Castle replied.

"Oh, sure," Beckett said, hoping he wasn't expecting her to take it with him. "So can we go Julia?"

"Yeah, we're going now," the little girl called as her parents started to look around for her and her sister, already sitting down on her sled.

"I guess she couldn't wait," Beckett said in amusement as Julia pushed them off and the girls slid down with cries of joy before they came to a stop just in front of the line of trees along the edge. "Was it fun?" she asked, laughing slightly as Macca ran to them, whining and pawing lightly at the edge of the sled.

"So much!" Julia cried.

"Yeah, lots!" Eliza said happily. "Again, Mommy?"

"A couple more times and then we need to go," Beckett said before she carried her over to the hill, taking Eliza's sled on the way.

"Kate, your camera," Castle said quickly to her before he grabbed it from her. He started taking pictures as the two sat in the sled and then ran in front of them, ready to get pictures of them coming down.

"We're going to run into you," Beckett teased him.

"You will not, I'm not that slow yet," Castle shot back. When they began to slide down, he took a couple pictures before he ran out of the way of them, smiling as their youngest daughter was squealing in exhilaration.

"Go up with your daddy now," Beckett said, kissing Eliza's cheek after she'd helped her up. She took her camera back from her husband and stopped him from turning away before she pulled his scarf away from his mouth and kissed him gently on the lips. " _Love you_ ," she whispered.

" _Love you too_ ," Castle said, a smile on his face at her words. He brushed his lips against hers and then picked up Eliza, making her legs swing out into the air to her cry.

Beckett set up her pictures almost the same as Castle had done but she took a few shots of him and Eliza sharing a kiss. She smiled as the toddler ran over to her, wrapping her arms tightly around her and said, "Cold?"

Nodding, Eliza then asked, "Take Macca?"

"We will," Beckett answered as she picked her up. "Are you coming in with us?"

"Let me see what they're going to do," Castle said before he went over to where Alexis and Julia had come to a stop in front of them.

"Mommy, can I stay-" Julia started to do, knowing already that her parents were taking her sister back in.

"I can stay out with her," Alexis replied. "We talked about it and we want to build a snowman."

"Then you can stay but when I come out to call you Julia, you'll come inside," Beckett replied. "And if your daddy calls you in, the same thing."

Giggling slightly, Julia nodded and hugged her parents quickly before asking, "What about Macca?"

"He's coming with us," Castle replied, picking up the dog. With that; and promises to Julia to look at pictures she took of the snowman, he followed his wife inside, turning in the doorway with her as they heard Julia squealing. Smiling as the two were engaged in a snowball fight outside, he said, "They should be busy."

"So will we, I want to get her into her bath before her nap," Beckett said.

"Alright, then into the bath we go," Castle said easily.

"Macca!" Eliza cried to the dog after Castle had taken off his boots.

Going upstairs with Macca leading the way, Beckett watched as he sniffed around the floor before getting to Martha's door. "Macca," she called firmly.

"That doesn't surprise me," Castle said in amusement as he watched the Wolfhound immediately go over to his wife.

"Mommy, no nap," Eliza said as she was being undressed.

"Yes nap sweetie," Beckett said with a smile, looking up at Castle who was filling the tub. She then looked over at Macca, seeing the dog was up on its hind legs, paws resting on the edge of the tub.

"He is scared," Eliza said in surprise when she saw that the dog was backing away from the tub quickly.

"I just don't think he likes water," Castle replied. "Come on sweetheart," he said then as Beckett was pushing her forward to him. He helped her into the water and said, "Am I taking her?"

"You are," Beckett said. "I'm going to give Lanie a call okay?" When he nodded, starting to wash Eliza's hair, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his temple before tickling their youngest's neck. Inside their room she dialed Lanie's number and sat on the edge of the bed. "Hey Lanie," she said once her friend had answered. "I hope this wasn't a bad time to call."

"No, no girl, Merry Christmas," Lanie replied. "How are you?"

"Merry Christmas to you too and I'm good," Beckett said, hoping she didn't sound too hesitant in her tone. "How're you and your parents?"

Lanie took a deep breath before she said, "We're okay, my mom was a little too smug when I told her about ending things with Espo, but she's stopped now."

"I hope so," Beckett said, sighing a little.

"Look Kate, I'm-" Lanie started to say.

"Are you sure? Because ever since you came here I've been worried about you," Beckett said. Two weeks before, when her friend had come to the beach house, Lanie had just ended the casual relationship she'd had with Esposito after they had discussed what they'd had together. She knew that neither of them were happy to have ended things between them but since Esposito hadn't wanted what Lanie did she wasn't too surprised that they'd eventually agreed to remain friends.

"No, it's okay, he went to my apartment yesterday," Lanie was saying then. "And we talked about our time together and we don't really have regrets. Well, just one; that we couldn't work it out."

"You sound pretty sure," Beckett said. She then made up her mind and said, "I'm coming into the city."

"When?" Lanie asked, surprised to hear the determination in her voice.

"In January. One weekend I'll come out and stay the night," Beckett said. "If you don't mind me staying with you."

"Of course not," Lanie said.

"Good, then we'll-" Beckett started to say.

"Kate?" Lanie asked, thinking the conversation had been cut off.

"I'm here, sorry, I need to go, Eliza just ran in before Rick could get her dressed," Beckett said, trying not to laugh as she took the towel that Castle; having run in after their daughter; was handing her. "After her bath."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later, tell everyone there that I said Merry Christmas," Lanie replied quickly, laughing as she could imagine the little girl running down the hall with her father chasing after.

"I will, bye," Beckett said before hanging up. "Eliza," she said, laughing at the little girl. "You know you're not supposed to do that…"

Castle followed Beckett back into Eliza's room where he helped her get their daughter dressed and tucked into bed for her nap. Once the toddler was asleep, he led her out into the hall and said, "How is she?"

Beckett didn't answer him, making him wait at the top of the stairs, before she hurried down to the door to the backyard. "Alexis," she called. "She needs to come in." When her stepdaughter waved and went to get Julia, she went to Castle still waiting for her, telling him about her conversation with Lanie as they went into their bathroom.

"So it sounds like they're not too upset," Castle said.

"I think Lanie had a turning point when she came," Beckett said as he closed the door and locked it behind them.

Castle wanted to say that maybe Esposito could be a father; if he had the chance; but after knowing the man for as long as he had he didn't think he would have been able to really undertake that kind of change in his life. "You're right but I just hope they'll be okay after this," he said.

"I'll see when I go next month," Beckett said, looking at him.

"Yeah, whenever you want to go, just tell me and I'll watch the girls for you," Castle said, knowing what her expression was telling him. He smiled and then leaned over, kissing her tenderly on the lips before murmuring, "So has this been a good Christmas?" knowing she also wanted him to change the subject.

"A little too soon to ask me," Beckett replied as she pulled on the bottom of his shirt to get it off of him. "Later tonight," she said. She then ran her hands down his chest and told him, "Much later," before his lips descended onto hers and they proceeded to hungrily kiss as they embraced tightly in their pleasure.

* * *

"What do you mean I'll get tired of this dress?" Castle was saying as his wife called to him from the bathroom.

"I mean you'll get tired of it," Beckett said wryly as she left the bathroom after putting up her hair and then putting on some makeup. "And you're lucky I don't mind you telling me what to wear."

"I suggested it," Castle said, thinking he must have had a tender look in his eyes with the way his wife tried to distract them both by fixing the lapels of his blazer. "So you didn't need to wear it."

"You're lucky I like it too," Beckett said simply, wearing the dress she'd worn her first Mother's Day. "And thank you for getting the screen."

"Yeah, I'm wondering why though," Castle said, looking to the left of the fireplace to where the large Japanese screen they'd put in the library; that he'd bought long ago in Japan; was blocking the bookcase.

"I wanted to try it, see if maybe we should add it here," Beckett said simply. "Come on, we need to finish up and I need to do this…" she said as she walked to where her comb was. She tucked it into her bun and smiled as her husband walked up to her, seeing his reflection in the mirror she was in front of. "You know there is something I've wanted to ask you now we've settled down a little," she said, turning and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Go ahead," Castle said simply.

"Did you enjoy your gifts?" Beckett said.

"Of course, you?" Castle replied before he then asked.

"I did," Beckett said. They kissed gently then before she pulled away and said, "You know I was tempted to buy you a boat."

"A boat?" Castle asked, surprised though he knew she was joking.

"Lela and her husband are selling their boat; the _Ocean's Shark_ ," Beckett said. She was startled when her husband suddenly turned away from her then and she hurried after him saying, "Rick? What is it?"

"No, nothing, I'm just thinking, probably better you didn't get that boat," Castle said, smiling at her as he turned to her. "I've seen it before, it's not the sharpest looking one; an-"

"What's wrong Castle?" Beckett asked him then, sternly,

"Nothing, I was a little worried you were serious about buying me a boat; you don't need to do that you know," Castle told her. He put his hand on her back and pulled her close to him, brushing his lips gently to hers. He smiled, relieved when she did so back, and said, "Should we go?"

"Yes, I really hope they didn't tear up the…" Beckett started to say as they left the room and went to the top of the stairs though she wasn't too pleased at his changing the subject as his reaction concerned her. She trailed off when she heard the sound of two sets of footprints and looked with her husband downstairs to see Julia and Eliza riding their youngest's hobby horse, the toddler's arms wrapped around her sister's waist. "I think Julia might have told her about us riding Asturias together," she said to her husband, smiling at him.

"Yeah I think she did," Castle commented, smiling at her. Taking her hand he pulled her down the stairs to the girls saying, "You two look like you're in great form. What do you say love?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I have to agree," Beckett replied, still smiling. "Are you two ready for dinner?"

"I'm hungry!" Eliza said quickly, eagerly. "Macca came with us," she said, pointing to the dog who was sitting, watching them as he panted.

"I better feed him now," Castle told his wife. "Think you can-"

"I'll get the last stuff set out," Beckett said with a nod.

"I'll help you Kate," Alexis said, coming to the bottom of the stairs.

"And I'll watch Eliza for you," Martha said.

"I will go with Daddy," the toddler said firmly, hurrying over to him.

"Can I go?" Julia said.

"You can but let your daddy show you this time how much you can feed Macca so you'll learn for later," Beckett said. "That'll be your chore once we're used to feeding him."

"Okay!" Julia said eagerly before she took her father's hand as her little sister took his other before they walked to the laundry room off the garage.

With Martha joining her granddaughter and Beckett in the kitchen, they soon had the food out on the counters and she couldn't help comment, as Castle and the girls were walking back to them, "We have quite the feast tonight. I wonder if we shouldn't let Macca eat with us."

"He'll come soon, he's eating fast," Julia said. "I paid attention Mommy, Daddy says tomorrow I can try feeding him by myself."

"Good, let's get our food now so we can eat," Beckett said as the little girl was bouncing up and down in her excitement. She watched as Julia went to her sister, taking her hand, and smiled at them before her husband picked up their youngest.

"I think they look very adorable," Martha said, coming up to her daughter in law and taking her arm. "You made a very good choice, though I wonder if matching-"

"No Gram, we're different and not twins," Julia said with a wide smile since her grandmother liked to say that when they dressed up for Christmas. "And I like my dress better," looking at her cream colored dress with a dark green and white plaid sash high around the waist.

"Mine is better!" Eliza said, looking over her father's shoulder, touching her light blue dress with a white sash around it. She giggled with her sister before she tried to jump up while she reached down to give Julia a high five though they couldn't reach one another.

"And you both look very pretty tonight," Beckett said, going over to help Julia get her food and hers at the same time. "Alexis?" she asked, looking over at her stepdaughter.

"Sorry, Diana texted me, she said everyone there said Merry Christmas," the young woman said since she'd been hanging back to look at her phone. "I said the same back from all of us," she said before she hurried to get a plate.

When everyone was sitting with him at the table, Castle raised his glass and said, "Here's to a great Christmas day and to an awesome Christmas night." He smiled when the girls giggled at his tone on the word awesome while they were all tapping glasses and he leaned over to his wife murmuring, " _You look stunning, I forgot to say_."

Smiling, Beckett leaned closer to him and whispered, " _I'll thank you for that later. And you look… delicious_ ," before she leaned back and studied him closely. When he opened and closed his mouth a few times, she smiled again widely before saying to everyone else, "How is it?" that smile becoming a smirk as she could easily tell they'd been watching the two of them talking.

"It's great, good food," Julia said, beaming at her parents.

"It is, you both did wonderful tonight," Martha said. "I say we have another toast," she said, picking up her glass. "To our chefs and their obvious, very frank love even now at a family dinner."

"That'll I'll raise my glass to," Castle said as Beckett was laughing softly next to him. He tapped his glass against hers again and leaned over, pressing a swift kiss to the side of her neck before sitting back to eat. "Oh, Macca must have taken a nap," he said as they then heard the sound of the dog's nails clicking on the wood floor.

"Hi Macca! Good boy," Julia said eagerly. "He's a good dog," she said to her parents as he lay on the floor next to her.

"He is, but you need eat your dinner too. Both of you," Beckett urged as Julia and then Eliza looked over at their dog.

"So are you going to name your horse Eliza?" Alexis asked her little sister as the two went back to their food.

Everyone at the table suggested names to the little girl but she only giggled and shook her head, not saying if she was even going to name the hobby horse. The meal wound down with the family discussing again their proposed Europe trip, though it went through to them cleaning up the dishes together in the kitchen, as none of them wanted to stop talking about it.

"So, I'm wondering," Castle said, standing with Beckett at the doorway to the family room where they had gone over to after everything was finished in the kitchen. "If I might take Kate very quickly outside? I have a surprise for her," he told the others.

"What if you asked me first?" Beckett asked him teasingly.

"Is it the lights?" Julia eagerly said.

"We'll tell you when we come back in," Castle said quickly before he took his wife's hand. "You alright going?"

"Now you ask me," Beckett said jokingly before she tugged his hand to go over to the closet. Once they were bundled up, a blanket over her arm as he was hurrying to the kitchen to pour out their usual glasses of champagne, she led the way to the gazebo, shivering slightly in the cold before she was sitting down with him in the same spot where he'd proposed to her. "Four years," she told him with a smile.

"Four years my love," Castle said before they tapped their glasses gently together. He watched her as he took a sip and then said, "So the surprise wasn't this really."

"I gathered," Beckett said with a knowing smile. "Since we've done this every year."

"Tired of it?" Castle asked.

"Not in the slightest," Beckett shot back rapidly. "So what is this surprise?"

Castle didn't reply to that and instead pulled his phone out of his pocket, opening something before he handed it to her, watching her closely as she looked at the screen.

"Thunder… you took a picture of him," Beckett said. "You… you bought Thunder," she then said in realization. When her husband nodded she let out a surprised sound before throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. "Oh god, you were the one Charlie talked about," she said, laughing slightly when she pulled away.

"Yeah, I had him tell you that to throw you off, just in case," Castle told her. "So I take it you're okay with owning a horse now? I put your name on the papers," he said when she looked at him.

"I'm ecstatic, but what about you?" Beckett said.

Castle took his phone back and slid his finger across the screen saying, "Jupiter was with the deal, he's not too friendly with other riders apparently."

"We can change their names right?" Beckett asked. When her husband nodded, she went back to the picture of the dark brown Andalusian saying, "Then I believe I'll call him… Alexander."

"Oh, that's a good… hey, wait-" Castle said. But before he could protest anymore to that, his wife was leaning over and kissing him gently on the lips. "Really?" he finally said with a sigh once they'd parted.

"Really," Beckett said, a wide smile on her face. "Though out of deference to your feelings, I'll call him Alex, even when he's being difficult."

"Okay, so Jupiter… I think I'll call him… Julius," Castle said, finally thinking of a name.

"Julius?" Beckett said slowly. "No I see your theme you have going, ancient conquerors," she quickly added when he was about to speak. "So Alex and Julius…"

"And if you're wondering about Julia, I'm planning on waiting until she gets older," Castle said quickly. "Hopefully she'll be okay with that."

"No, she'll still want a horse, because I would too if I were in her shoes," Beckett said. "Actually I did at her age but we'll explain to her about her getting more experience." She then studied her husband for a moment and said, "Thank you for this."

"Your reaction said that to me, but you're welcome," Castle said. "And that's directed at myself as well, since I bought myself a horse too." He then noticed her slightly troubled expression and asked, "What's wrong."

"It's this subject of gifts, why did you have that reaction when I talked about getting you that boat? And don't try and pass it off as you not wanting me to buy it, because I never believed it for a second," Beckett quickly told him. "What's wrong with the boat?"

Castle, looking at her for a long time, finally breathed out and took her hand saying, "Don't mention this to my mother; she hates the memory; but do you remember that I've never told you how I became interested in writing mysteries?" At Beckett's nod he then said, "When I was eight, my mother's boyfriend at the time brought us here to the Hamptons for Christmas and a few days after I went out for a walk on my own on the beach with binoculars that I'd gotten as a gift. I was looking out at the sea and discovered a boat that was anchored close to shore but still some distance away. So I looked out at it and there was a woman I knew from a Christmas party we'd attended dumping her sister's body; wrapped up in plastic and coated in blood under that plastic into the water, I think she'd tied two big stones around her ankles."

"How did you know it was the sister?" Beckett asked, squeezing his hand.

"Her heels, they were the ones she wore to the party, black with bottoms a bright red, they caught my eye when she walked," Castle said. "And her hair was the same pale blonde at the top of that macabre package. My mom had joined me while I was watching this and when I told her what I was seeing, she looked out and we ran for the police. But by the time we contacted them, the boat was long gone. The body though had lost the rocks and washed up to shore near where I'd been standing."

"Did you see it?" Beckett asked.

"I did, my mother tried to get me to stay away but I couldn't," Castle said. "I've never forgotten how much blood there was… under the plastic, trailing down to the water… But she caught up with me after that had her boyfriend take me back to the house we were staying at and the police talked to me there. They never found the sister but they did find the boat well off the coast of Maine, empty, so the general consensus is that a storm swept her overboard or she killed herself as there was some of her blood below deck in the kitchen. And the ship? It was called _Ocean's Shark_ as that was her passion; sharks."

"So that made you want to write, trying to figure out why she would kill her own sister," Beckett said before Castle nodded. "But why did you look horrified I'd made the suggestion I had bought you a boat with the same name?"

"I had nightmares on and off for a while, seeing that scene, but it was my mother wrapped in plastic," Castle said, putting his arm around her then. "Luckily those stopped as I got older. But after she was born, I had a few nightmares with Alexis being thrown into the ocean. I went to a psychiatrist friend about it and he said that was me concerned I couldn't protect the women I loved," he said, looking into her eyes.

"Rick I wish you'd have told me," Beckett said with a sigh. She leaned over, kissing his lips before she murmured saying, "You wouldn't have had a nightmare about me, we weren't even together when I asked you how you got into that kind of writing."

"No, you would have been there because my subconscious knew what I felt for you," Castle said. "So I made up that story about the kid since it was a deflection but why I almost had it the same as what happened… I don't know, it just came to me."

"Well, I wasn't serious about getting the boat," Beckett said, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "And since we have horses now, I'll prefer that to sailing."

"And if the Fosters ask us out to sea?" Castle said with a grin.

"Then we'll go with them; but I'm glad you don't hate sailing," Beckett replied.

"I know, good thing," Castle said with a nod. "My friend said it was more the dumping of the body that scared me, not sailing since before then I'd already been on boats many times. So," he finally said when he saw she had finished her champagne. "There's one more thing I'd like to ask you love."

"Sure," Beckett said, smiling at him.

"In two more years; less than that in reality," Castle told her. "We'll be married for five years. What do you think about renewing our vows?"

"After just five years?" Beckett said though she bit her lower lip for a moment.

"It's a nice, solid number," Castle said. He smiled when his wife shook her head and he took her chin in between his fingers telling her, "And it needs to be celebrated, I would do that every year but spreading out to every five is another reason to want to stay with you."

"Not the only one?" Beckett asked though her heart was pounding rapidly.

"No," Castle said simply before he kissed her, deeply.

Their arms wrapped around each other as their tongues carefully dueled together, Beckett could almost forget that they were outside in the cold. But finally they parted and she whispered, "Yes," looking intently into his eyes.

Kissing her again, much more simply that time, Castle said, "Where?"

Looking at each other again, Castle and Beckett smiled and said at the same time, "The manor."

"Come on," Beckett said then as she stood up, taking the blanket off their laps. "Let's go tell them, about the horses and our renewal ceremony."

"I love how you lead off with the horses," Castle said teasingly as he followed her back inside. He squeezed her hand when she smirked over her shoulder at him, knowing already what the reaction would be from the others at the first piece of news and wondering what they would think of the second as they got their outer layers off and headed to the family room, Beckett's hand holding onto the upper part of his right arm firmly.

"I didn't know we were playing dress up," Beckett commented as they saw their daughters were wearing the Civil War dresses they'd gotten from the toy store in town for them.

"I insisted," Martha said. "To make sure I didn't need to alter anything and they fit well, a little loose on them both, so they will last."

"Unless our daughters end up growing like weeds," Castle joked.

"Are you going somewhere else?" Alexis asked as the two hadn't moved from where they were standing.

"No, we're actually practicing," Beckett said, smiling at her husband when he looked at her in slight surprise. "For two years from now."

"We're going to renew our vows," Castle told them as they looked a little perplexed.

"Oh, that wasn't a surprise but you're going to have a full ceremony?" Martha asked as her son led his wife to the couch.

"We're not sure about that yet, but we decided to have it at the Adare Manor," Beckett said. "And it'll be much smaller than our wedding was."

"Do I go?" Eliza asked, hurrying over to stand in front of her mother.

"Of course but it's still early, so I think we'll just get the reservation for wherever we're going to have this at in the manor before we do any serious planning," Castle said.

"And he also gave me my last gift for today," Beckett added. When the others looked at her she said, "Remember Thunder?" directing that to Alexis since she knew her mother in law was aware of him.

"Yeah, Gram said he was sold- you bought him?" the young woman said before interrupting herself in realization.

"I did and the horse I would ride with him, Jupiter," Castle said.

"You have a horsie now!" Julia said eagerly as she hurried to stand with her sister.

"And we renamed them," Beckett said. "Thunder is now Alex; short for Alexander; and Jupiter is Julius."

"Interesting names," Martha said, amused that her daughter in law had chosen her son's original middle name. "So you'll be riding more."

"A lot more," Castle said. "So, should we get started on dessert?" he asked, looking around at the others.

"And play games too," Julia insisted as they got up to go to the kitchen. "I can't wait to play my new ones."

"Neither can I," Castle said, leaning down to kiss the top of her head before Eliza was hanging onto his arm. He picked her up and held her on his hip as he carried her to where the desserts were set out, smiling as she kissed his cheek noisily before reaching out for a cookie.

Back in the family room they began to play a new game that Alexis had bought for Eliza, since it was nearing her bed time. They only played once as by the time they had finished that first one the toddler was yawning widely.

"We woke up pretty early," Alexis said as her dad picked up the toddler.

"I can tell, think you can say goodnight to everyone?" Castle asked Eliza.  
"Night," she whispered, waving and rubbing her eyes. She smiled when she felt first Martha and then Alexis kiss her cheeks before she felt Julia kissing her. "Why?" she asked.

"So you can have Mommy and Daddy say goodnight," Julia said quickly, not wanting her to know that she was going to set up one of her new games to play.

"Oh," Eliza said, and she then sighed a little before wrapping her arms around Castle as he and Beckett left the room.

By the time she had helped Eliza brush her teeth, changed her into her pajamas and was laying her down in bed it was no surprise at all to Beckett that the toddler was fast asleep. She gestured Castle over once she had finished, letting him say goodnight to her first.

"I love you sweetheart, sweet dreams," Castle murmured, kissing her forehead.

"I love you too Eliza," Beckett whispered, tucking her in before she kissed her on the forehead as well. She couldn't help linger for a little, smoothing back her hair before she made herself pull away to follow Castle downstairs. "She's in bed about a half hour before her bedtime," she commented.

"I think Julia might be doing the same," Alexis said as her dad and Beckett came into the family room.

"How early did you two get up?" Castle asked in surprise as the little girl was yawning widely then.

"When I looked at my clock it said a quarter to six, and I'm pretty sure they were looking at the gifts before they got me," Alexis said.

"Can we play now?" Julia said quickly, since her sister was right.

"Quite an… elaborate version of the game Richard," Martha said, though she knew both he and Beckett had bought it together.

"It's a classic, and you remember how much she loved Clue Jr. So we decided that this could also be for the family as well," Castle said as he set the Clue board that was on a wood box with three dimensional rooms under glass. "Especially since it's a luxury edition."

"It looks like it," Martha said, rubbing her granddaughter's arm since she was standing next to her, yawning again. "But we should hurry."

"Well play tomorrow too with Eliza," Beckett said, smiling at the little girl's efforts to stay awake.

The game went a little slowly at first but eventually Martha was able to win, guessing the killer, room and murder weapon. While the other four cleaned up the game, they watched Julia, still blinking and yawning in her exhaustion.

Though she hugged and kissed her grandmother and sister, Julia couldn't really remember what she said, only knowing that she had replied to their I love yous. She shivered then as they went to the garage and the door there with a dog door to the back and yawning asked, "Is Macca gonna sleep with me?"

"He will but we're trying to teach him to go outside this way too," Beckett replied as Castle lured the puppy out. She held Julia close until her husband came back to them and said, "He's good?"

"Yeah, he got it right away," Castle said. He then leaned over slightly and picked up Julia, thinking she'd fall asleep just like her sister. But when they got to her room he was surprised when she told him to put her down and he took her instead to the bathroom where she could brush her teeth as he watched from the doorway. At one point he glanced back at his wife, seeing her at their daughter's desk, looking at the stack of books they'd given her that morning before he turned back to Julia as she rinsed out her mouth.

"I'm so happy I got so many books," Julia was saying as she walked out and saw her mother looking at one of the three American Girl books she'd gotten. "Careful Mommy," she told her seriously. "I have them all ready in the order I want to read them in."

"It doesn't surprise me you want to read the Dear Canada and America books and the Royal Diaries books first," Castle commented as Beckett put the books back into the pile as they'd been. "Where's the first Harry Potter book?" he asked, looking at it.

Yawning Julia pointed to the fifth one from the top and said, "I want to read that one too. Drew said the books were really good, remember he has a wand too? And he's in…"

"Oh, he got sorted?" Castle asked, glancing at Beckett to see her smiling in amusement at their conversation.

"Yeah," Julia said as she then changed with a little help from her mother and while her father was looking through the first book on her pile. "I think… something with an h."

"Oh, Hufflepuff," Castle said, wincing.

"There's nothing wrong with that house Rick," Beckett shot at him.

"What, you've been sorted there too?" Castle said. When his wife gave him a look he said, "Yeah, I didn't believe it either. But once you read the part about the sorting, we'll have to see what all of us get in to."

"Even Eliza?" Julia asked with a smile.

"Even her," Castle said. "Come on, time for you to sleep," he said as he picked her up and then set her on the bed. He pulled her sheets up to her waist and shared a kiss with her saying, "Love you Julia, sleep tight."

"Love you too Daddy," the little girl said with a smile at him. She then hugged her mother and waited until she tucked her in to share a kiss with her. "Night Mommy, I love you."

"I love you too sweetie," Beckett replied, kissing her forehead. "We'll see you in the morning."

Julia smiled and then closed her eyes, trying to remember everything from that day. She heard a sniff and then something plopped down on the end of her bed, making her raise her head to see it was Macca, curled up on a blanket her father had placed there for him. "Good boy," she murmured, laying back again and falling asleep almost as soon her eyes were closed.

Watching the scene, Castle turned off the lights and took his wife's hand while she closed the door, walking with her out into the hall. "So, should we say goodnight ourselves or play poker for a little."

Beckett smiled at that and then said; at the same time he did; "Bed," before they went downstairs to tell Martha and Alexis goodnight.

* * *

"So why exactly do we have this in here?" Castle asked, coming over to his wife with a second glass of champagne for them both.

"Something I'll tell you about in a second," Beckett replied, tapping her glass against his. She took a few sips before she watched him go over to one of the candles that had gone out, smiling as he lit it. "Finished," she said as she watched him drain the last of the bubbly liquid out of his glass; since he hadn't poured them too much.

"Yes, now give love, what's the story?" Castle said. He was a little surprised when she went over to him, wrapping her arms around him and whispering into his ear. He nearly jerked back in shock at what she said, but managed to control himself saying, "You know, when you tease me about being a voyeur…"

"You said you've done it before," Beckett said, pretending to protest.

"Well, not like this," Castle said, looking back at the screen. "Just what we've done before with me watching you." He turned back to her and asked seriously, "This is what you want?" When she merely nodded, a smirk on her face, he took a deep breath before he kissed her hungrily, holding her tightly against him. It took him a little bit of time to pull away from her, but once he had he said, "Then let's see how this'll work out."

Beckett smiled widely before kissing him on the lips quickly and she then went over to help him make sure the screen was set before she gave him some final instructions. That done, she went over to the bathroom where she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She wasn't sure about what they were about to do as they'd never hid watching one another when they were intimate, but finally she could feel her excitement rising and she turned to leave as fast as she could, stepping out into the bedroom.

Watching as his wife walked over to the bed, Castle suddenly found his mouth watering as she placed her knee on the mattress before untying the ribbons up her ankle and slipping off the shoe. As she did the same with her other heel he wondered if she was having him tempt fate by telling him to undress while she was in the bathroom but then not touch himself until she had started. He was already aroused and it was difficult to ignore as seeing her through the slight space in the screen was making him even more so. He nearly sucked in a deep breath; she'd also asked him not to make too much noise to make the moment more authentic; when she reached up to the bun her hair was in. ' _Don't take down your hair, don't touch it_ ,' he thought a little frantically to himself. But she was only removing the comb before reaching behind her for the zipper on her dress.

Feeling Castle's eyes on her, Beckett bit her lower lip as she kept herself turned away from him and pulled the zipper very slowly. She didn't turn until she had managed to get it all the way down and finally she turned, not fully towards him but instead more towards the fireplace. More than ready, she pulled the dress off her shoulders and arms until it was pooled at her feet.

Castle wasn't sure, but he could have sworn he could hear his heart screaming at him as it pounded against his chest, knocking into his ribs it felt like. His wife's body was almost glowing in the light from the candles, the shadows from all the flickering lights and the dimmer lights from the nightstand playing across her skin. He had to swallow hard, as he could almost taste her under his tongue, and he jumped a little when he felt his hand brushing against his erection. Quickly he pulled it away and focused back on her, his breath stilling when he saw what she was doing next.

Beckett had to wonder what kind of show exactly she was giving her husband behind the screen and if he was going to be able to hold himself back as she pulled her panties off. She didn't linger, or try and play with him, knowing already it wasn't going to be necessary. Fully naked; save for her pearl necklace; she turned back to the bed, pulling the covers down before she glanced back over her shoulder towards the screen.

That time Castle was sure his member was screaming at him, as Beckett smiled slyly over her shoulder straight at him. Her body was making him actually ache and he was nearly digging his nails into his palms as he watched her soon lay back on the bed. He was breathing; since he hadn't passed out; but it was a close call as he lost it once more as she proceeded to run her hands down over her breasts. Her slight moan and almost huskily whispered, "Hmm, Rick…" had him imagining himself bursting through the screen and ravaging her as he knew she wanted just from the way her fingers her starting to play with her nipples. He clenched his teeth together, waiting, hoping she'd make it soon to her sex as he was sure that he was going to pass out from repressing everything.

Almost as if she could sense that Beckett tried to hurry with arousing herself, not just because she knew her husband was going to go crazy but also because she was on the edge herself. Finally she lowered her fingers down to the junction of her legs and spreading them apart she put her left arm underneath her head, knowing Castle would watch the way her breasts moved with that. At the same time she found her clit easily, the nub more heavily distended than she'd anticipated and she couldn't stop the moan that escaped her lips at the feel of it. Her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head until she was able to come back to herself and she rubbed at herself in earnest.

With her touching herself at last, Castle grasped his length in his hand and began to stroke himself. He hadn't been sure how he'd feel doing that, watching her so covertly, and it felt slightly strange though they'd both agreed to do it. But he couldn't deny that his wife was absolutely, stunningly sexy all by herself in the middle of their large bed, writhing and moaning a little under her breath. He made himself watch her fingers after they'd been pleasuring themselves for a while, taking close note of her rhythm, and he soon made his hand move in the same manner. The first pass of his hand then made him groan, not realizing that he had though, the pleasure that spread like a swift rush of flames through his body distracting him easily.

Beckett caught the groan, and it added to the kinkiness of what they were doing, making her nearly smile in her moan. She had to wonder if Castle didn't want to go back to the more crazy things he'd been doing before with past lovers. And it was that thought that made her stop and get up from the bed. She went to the screen and walking to the side of it said, "Stop love."

Startled, Castle looked at his wife in a kind of daze, glancing at the bed to see that she was in fact there in front of him. "What's… wrong?" he asked, unable to do as she had commanded him.

"Stop or else I will drag you by your cock to the bed," Beckett said, unable to tear her eyes away from what his hand was doing to himself.

It took a good amount of willpower to stop but Castle couldn't let go of himself, hoping that would stop her from carrying out her threat. "What's wrong," he asked again, his voice a little stronger that time.

"I'm lonely," Beckett said simply, managing to pry his hand off of his erection. She then started to pull on him, to get him to move, which he immediately did, groaning out in complaint before she let go to catch his hand.

"I was right here though love," Castle told her, breathing a little harshly as he followed her at her lead.

"It wasn't enough," Beckett replied simply. "But we should do that again, another night."

"I agree, so, that space in the closet?" Castle said, stopping her next to the bed before she could get on it.

"As long as it's hidden," Beckett replied. "So you enjoyed the show?"

"Immensely, thank you for not taking this down," Castle said, as he'd been pulling the pins out of her hair. He watched it tumble around her shoulders and shuddered in pleasure at the sight of it before murmuring, " _I love you_ Kate _, and I need you_."

" _So do I, come here_ ," Beckett said, pulling on his hand. She was able to get him onto the bed and she followed him, pleased that he sat up, his legs stretched out in front of him. It allowed her to immediately get on top of him and she straddled him before lowering herself as he helped by holding his member for her, his other hand on her hip. She breathed out as he entered her, biting on her lower lip before they were completely coupled and she looked down in between their bodies. "Oh god… Rick…" she sighed before she proceeded to move.

"So… now you're riding me," Castle said, stammering slightly as those first thrusts reminded him why he enjoyed making love to her as much as he did.

"Don't… compare yourself to a… horse," Beckett sighed as his hands were stroking her back. She then felt behind her he was bending his legs and an idea suddenly came to mind, making her lean back on them to see what would happen since she never really allowed herself to do that before. Closing her eyes tightly as the angle of him inside of her sex was different, she felt his hands; having to move from her back; slide up her front. That made her open them to watch him, breathing heavily in anticipation, watching the way he slid up, and up until finally he was cupping her breasts. She moved then as if she'd been struck, sitting up and meeting her husband's lips as they suddenly fell into one another, not even looking at each other to see what the other wanted to do. The kiss happened naturally and she had no urge to fight the thrill that shot up her spine at the sensation. She stroked the back of his head as they continued to thrust against one another, as fast as they could go, until finally they parted, panting heavily for air.

Castle couldn't stop himself; he was nibbling at the side of her neck, groaning in pleasure as he realized that he was finally able to taste her skin; as he'd been thinking of before. He felt her soon start to slow down and he moved back to look at her, watching suddenly as she was doing something different with her hips. But when she stopped he nearly asked her what she was doing; missing the friction between their moving bodies instantly. "Oh, Kate, fuck!" he yelled when abruptly she was flexing her sex around him and he clutched her to him by the small of her back until she began to move again. He breathed out in relief as the sensation was almost as if her hand was squeezing him but much hotter and slicker than her palm. He couldn't stop the shudder through him at that and he leaned down while he was cupping her breasts in his hands.

"Ooh, I was waiting for you to get back," Beckett said, smiling briefly through her pleasure. She stroked the back of his head as he leaned down, taking her breast with his lips, moaning softly at the sensation of him suckling at her. "This is what you wanted while you were…" she started to say. She lost her train of thought as his hands reached down to cup her ass, starting to move her. She grew a little frustrated that he would do that, wanting to have a little more control, so instead she pushed up and down harder on the bed under them. That broke off his contact with her breasts but she didn't care, the feeling of him inside of her, moving so hard that she wasn't sure how it was that she wasn't on fire; though she knew that was impossible. Everything gathered inside her, down to where they were fucking each other thoroughly. So much heat and sparks of pleasure snaked their way through her that she suddenly stopped.

"Thank you," Castle groaned in slight relief. "I didn't think I could last much longer, you're too fucking good."

"We were pleasuring ourselves for a while," Beckett said. She then smiled as he kissed at her neck again, making her feel her skin literally tingling from his touch before she spoke again. "How far were you?"

"Far, your striptease before was… incredible," Castle said. He looked at her body entirely then and nodded saying, "Yeah, I think I'm going to reverse my decision, you're pure sex."

"Right now I am," Beckett replied, feeling her cheeks heating up a bit in response to that. She smiled then and said, "No longer a goddess?"

"That I didn't say," Castle said firmly before he closed the gap between them and proceeded to kiss her. He held her tightly against his body, loving the feel of their skin together, lightly brushing against each other before he tilted his head to the side.

Almost at the same time, Castle and Beckett proceeded to thrust against one another. But they started out slowly and then built up their pace, moving faster and faster until the sound of their bodies meeting competed somewhat with the slight protest of the bed underneath them. They didn't really notice though, too involved with almost trying to devour one another in their frantic, passionate kisses before they slowed down at the same time and then stopped again, pulling away from another kiss while they were doing that.

"Lean back… let me explore a little," Castle said as Beckett tried to kiss him.

Not questioning that, she leaned against his propped up legs and smiled when he palmed her breasts with both hands. "Always need to touch," she said, though her smile had dropped off her lips at the sensation of his fingertips starting to circle her nipples. "Rick…" she moaned softly.

Looking up at his wife then, Castle let his hands move of their own will, watching her to see her reactions as she slightly arched her back, trying to feel more from him. He moved back slightly and cupped the mounds, thumbing her nipples as she cried out and suddenly started to thrust against him, doing the same almost immediately. He groaned as she didn't build up her speed as they'd done before but it was no less pleasurable, since they were swift, and again he could feel the friction; heat that transferred into a shock that seemed endless around his member. He pulled her up to him roughly by the small of her back and he kissed around her neck before moving up to her lips. There he bit at her lower lip and slowly, carefully proceeded to nibble at it as her nails dug into the back of his shoulders in immediate response.

Beckett was a little impatient at first, as she wanted that to slide into a kiss badly, but she was pleasantly surprised when her husband let it happen very shortly after he'd taken her lips. She stroked the back of his head as they fought against each other in her mouth with their tongues, never stopping their movements. It was then that she could feel herself losing the battle with her own body, unable to really fight the pleasure that had built to such a point as for that to happen. She managed to hold on for a little while longer before she was tilting her head back and she cried out Castle's name as she broke, her back arching almost roughly. She would have been startled at how immediate her husband's climax was, almost instantly after her own, but after what they'd been doing before making it together to the bed, there was nothing shocking about the intensity of his orgasm, or the fact that it matched hers in that so completely. She was nearly dizzy as he was moving against her faster and harder as he held onto her hips and it took little incentive to make her reach a second peak. Feeling almost like she was falling then, she clutched at Castle tightly around the neck as they called each other's names several times, their voices mixing a little before they were silent, only the sound of their bodies and the bed filling it.

As Beckett slowed to a stop, Castle found that he couldn't quite do that, and he moved against her a little harder, three more times in rapid succession before he stopped, letting himself fall back on the bed. He grunted slightly as he felt his wife get off of him, before curling up against his side. "Please tell me you enjoyed that," he said, wrapping his arm around her back and beginning to stroke the small of it.

"I don't think you need to ask," Beckett replied. She raised her head a bit to look at him and then leaned down, pressing her lips to his before she reached down his body.

Tensing up completely when he felt his wife's hand around his member, Castle pulled away and looked at her, about to say her name. But instead a groan fell past his lips and he tried to stop her, not really taken aback when she slapped his hand away. "I'm…" he started to say.

"I want you love," Beckett said, throwing her hair back over her shoulders before she rolled onto her back on her side of the bed, taking her husband with her as they were both fondling him at the same time. He lowered his body to hers and she was gripping onto him again as she had before, but that time to make sure he didn't go anywhere. She didn't have to worry though, as all of a sudden she found her back against the headboard, Castle taking her roughly as she encouraged him before their lips crushed each other at the same time in a hungry, passionate kiss that neither of them could seem to end as their bodies undulated together in an easy fashion born out of their years of intimacy and eagerness to feel one another.

* * *

_The wind was cold, telling him it was winter, and he approached the little boy who was nearly in the water with a sense of trepidation, not sure he wanted to go to him. But it was as if his legs were moving automatically, leaving him with little control. "Hey," he said as he got closer. "You'll get wet if you stay here, the tide-" he started to say as he put his hand on the boy's shoulder. He cut himself off though, when the boy turned and it was himself, at eight years old._

_"She's there," his eight year old self told him, looking concerned before he handed the brand new binoculars up to him._

_Castle tried to fight with himself, to toss them aside, but as had happened when he'd been walking, he brought them up to his face, and saw the back of the ship; the Ocean's Shark. He turned his head to the side and there could see the older woman, dumping the body over the side of the ship. But there his dreams of the moment in the past diverged as the body being pushed off was not his mother, nor his daughter; but Beckett. And she wasn't wrapped up to hide her identity; she was in her dress she'd worn for Christmas dinner, the pearl at her neck bright in the sun._

_Throwing down the binoculars, he ran into the water, barely noticing his eight year old self yelling after him, "She's already dead Rick! Leave her!" knowing it wasn't himself but whatever demon that let him experience those dreams of his wife dead that was influencing him. He started to swim, going as hard as he could, keeping his eye on where Beckett had slipped under the water, not even noticing the boat sailing away. He could feel his arms aching as it felt like it was much further than it had been in real life, but finally he neared her._

_There was a sudden jolt, a rip in the consciousness of his dream, and he was unexpectedly on his hands and knees on the water, frozen below him. He didn't bother to try and figure out how that had happened as he stood and tried to run, just focused his attention on the water below the ice. He then found her, the white of her pearl pendant in stark contrast against the water. "Kate!" he yelled, seeing her eyes open, flooded with panic. He went back onto his hands and knees, proceeding to slam his fists as hard as he possibly could into the ice. But it didn't give way and he was almost clawing at it before he looked at her and saw she was beginning to slip down into the darkness of the water, her lips moving, mouthing one word that he could still hear through the ice, and filling him with horror as she disappeared._

_"Rick…"_

* * *

Sitting upright with a jolt, Castle looked around himself, seeing that he wasn't on the beach, instead in his room, which was a lot warmer than it'd been in the dream. He looked over at his wife, seeing she was alright, fast asleep under the covers. He shuddered before he got out of bed as quickly as he could but carefully. He hurried into the bathroom, thinking for a moment he was going to be sick after what he'd seen. But his stomach stopped lurching sickly, and instead he decided to take a shower, to rinse his sweat soaked skin. He started to grab the door to the stall when a hand grasped his own.

"Here," Beckett said, taking him to the tub. "I had a feeling," she said as she turned on the water. "You were going to have a nightmare. Do you want to talk about it?" she asked in concern, studying him and wondering if he was going to be sick.

"Not yet," Castle said simply. "Sorry if I woke you up."

Waving her hand in the air to brush aside the statement, Beckett quickly turned off the water and had him get in before she followed, but she went behind him. "It's okay Rick," she murmured as she proceeded to run water over his back.

"What time is it?" Castle asked, having a hard putting some distance between the nightmare and reality though he had proof his wife was alive as her fingertips rubbed him.

"It's almost dawn," Beckett murmured, pressing her lips to the back of his head. "And I don't care it's early, I slept pretty well. I'm more concerned about you."

Unable to help feeling guilty at that, and still having a hard time shaking his nightmare, Castle said, "Come here love," before he helped her come around to sit on his lap. He didn't say anything at first, just holding her tightly to him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, stroking the back of his head gently.

"If you don't want to say-" Beckett began as they sat in silence and she could feel in her husband's body movement that he was trying to start telling her but wasn't quite to that point yet.

"No, I do," Castle interrupted her. Finally he forced himself to tell her what he'd seen in his dream, not surprised when she pressed her lips to his or to his temple as he spoke. When he'd finished he pulled her closer to him and said, "It was like San Francisco. The bay."

"I know," Beckett murmured. "Why is it you didn't dream of seeing that after?"

"I thought the same thing," Castle replied. "And I think it's because the fear of you drowning was different from what I saw when I was a kid."

"That's true," Beckett said, understanding what he meant then. "Come on," she told him as the water was starting to get cool around them. She stood and allowed him to dry her off first, before she did the same for him, and she led him back out to their bed.

Castle watched; as they stood next to it; as she opened her towel wrapped around her form. He discarded his towel in the second before Beckett was taking his hands, placing them on her sides. He took the hint, and pulled her to him before they began to kiss, deeply. He groaned as he held her to him, her more petite form against his and completely naked was quick to work on him, so much so that he was a little startled to find himself fully aroused when they parted; though they'd taken their time in that kiss. Together they moved onto the mattress, and he slid inside of his wife, groaning a little at the feel of her body against his as he proceeded to make love to her.

Beckett was hoping that Castle would use that bout to remember she was with him and the nightmare was nothing more than a dream. She kissed him and kept him as close to her as she could until they were both groaning and nearly yelling each other's name in their ecstasy as they reached their climaxes at virtually the same time. She stroked at the back of his head and his neck before she had him turn his head to kiss her sensuously. Slipping her tongue into his mouth, she moaned softly as he flicked his tongue against hers and kept doing that until they had to part for air.

Castle pulled away from her then, making sure he was brushing his lips against her as he did that. "Come on," he whispered to her, pulling her up with him.

Beckett was amused at his sudden eager tone, so she let him help her with her robe before he got his on. When he led her to the windows she knew then what he wanted to do, so she didn't protest leaving the warm bed as they stood turned towards the east, with him behind her.

The sun slowly rose, and Castle leaned down, pressing his lips to the side of his wife's neck. "I feel like I should apologize," he murmured to her.

"For what?" Beckett asked in surprise before she turned to him.

"For wanting to protect you that much," Castle said, looking into her eyes.

Kissing him gently, Beckett pulled back and told him, "It's helped me before. And I think we're both even in how much we want to protect one another. Which is probably great for our marriage."

"True," Castle said, smiling back at her. "Come on," he said again as he led her back to the bed. He took her robe and placed it on his nightstand as he watched her get on the mattress, before he then took off his. Tossing it aside onto hers, he slid under the covers with her before he wrapped his arms around her since she came straight to him and kissed him deeply. Responding in turn, he slipped his tongue into her mouth before she could, and they tangled together before they both pulled away. Starting into her eyes, he brushed his lips back against hers before telling her, "Did I say thank you?"

"You don't need to, you've done the same for me before," Beckett said simply. "But you're welcome."

Castle smiled at that, and her anticipating him insisting on thanking her, before he lay back with his arm underneath his head, wrapping his other around her as she pressed against his side. He expected her to lie down but instead she went straight to kiss him and he had to hurry to return it. He didn't really mind that though and did it gladly before she eventually pulled away from him and pressed her forehead to his. " _I adore you my love_ ," he told her, their lips brushing against each other as he spoke.

" _I love you too_ Rick," Beckett replied, a smile on her face. She gave him a quick peck on his lips and then lay down against his side, smiling as she pressed her cheek against his shoulder. She wasn't feeling too tired, watching the sky outside with him becoming blue, and she said, "Another great Christmas."

"It was," Castle said, remembering asking her that earlier. "So far though."

Laughing slightly, Beckett nodded saying, "So far," as she pressed her forehead against his jaw.

The two exchanged another kiss before they turned back to the windows, thinking of his nightmare instead of the lightening sky outside. Both Castle and Beckett had known there would have been a risk of him retaining the horror it had provided him, if she hadn't known instinctively how to comfort and help him get past the lingering effects of it when he'd awoken. And as she had told him he'd done the same for her before; and it was more than likely they'd do the same for one another again. With that thought in mind they soon drowsed off to sleep, even more secure about their love and their need for one another in so many ways after what they'd gone through that night. They slept soundly, remaining in each other's embrace which to them was an added confirmation of that idea. That would in turn influence their dreams of one another while their bodies regained the final strength they needed from their sated fatigue after they fulfilled their need for each other that snowy, winter night going into the early morning hours.


End file.
